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No. 60. Agreement between the Hon. the Postmaster-General and Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited). Deed of agreement, made this twenty-third day of September, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen, between the Honourable the Postmaster-General of the Dominion of New Zealand, acting for and on behalf of His Majesty the King, of the one part, and the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), of the other part: Whereas by agreement dated the ninth day of July, one thousand nine hundred and twelve, the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) did agree, under clause 6 of the Vancouver contract, to convey butter in refrigerator to Honolulu, Victoria, and Vancouver at one penny per pound gross : And whereas the said company has now agreed that the freight on butter to the above-mentioned places shall be reduced by one-eighth of a penny per pound gross from the twenty-ninth day of June, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen, until the thirtyfirst day of March, one thousand nine hundred and sixteen, and that a further reduction of oneeighth of a penny per pound gross shall be made from the first day of April, one thousand nine hundred and sixteen : Now, this deed witnesseth that the parties hereto do mutually agree to the aforesaid reductions. In witness whereof these presents have been executed the day and year first above written. li. Heaton Rhodes. Signed by Robert Heaton Rhodes, the said Postmaster-General, in the presence of—W. Crow, Private Secretary, Wellington. The common seal of the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) was hereunto affixed by— r i C. Holds worth, I -p.. seal. ~ „ r> • Directors, L ■' G. R. Ritchie, ] ' in the presence of —0. Hughes, Secretary, Dunedin.

No. 61. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa, to the Acting-Secretary, General Post Office. Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, Ottawa, 29th September, 1914. With reference to your communication of the 29th July last, respecting the transmission of mails from New Zealand for the United Kingdom via Vancouver, and remarking that these seemed to be on all occasions sent via Montreal, I beg to say (hat there would appear to be no disadvantage in this, as our instructions are that these mails are to be sent on from Montreal by the more expeditious route, whether that be via Canadian port or via New York. As regards the specific cases to which you refer of mails from New Zealand having been delayed in transmission to the United Kingdom, I beg to say that the New Zealand mail which arrived at Vancouver on Tuesday, 3rd February, reached Montreal on Sunday, Bth February, and was sent forward to St. John for despatch by the " Teutonic," scheduled to sail on Wednesday, 11th February. Due to weather-conditions, however, the " Teutonic " did not sail from St. John until Friday, 13th February, and, due solely to this cause, the mails were not delivered in London until Saturday, 21st February. The New Zealand mails which arrived at Vancouver on Tuesday, 28th April, reached Montreal in due course on Sunday, 3rd May, and were despatched by the " Royal George," sailing from Quebec on Tuesday, sth May. The " Royal George " was delayed on this trip for about twentyfour hours owing to ice and heavy weather, but the mails were delivered in London at midnight of Wednesday, 13th May, whereas had these mails been diverted at Montreal to go by the " Campania " from New York they would have reached London about 2 p.m. of the same day. Under the schedule in effect at the time your letter was written the New Zealand mails -for the United Kingdom reached Montreal by Sunday in time to be forwarded by Tuesday's boat either by the Canadian or by the New York route, and under the schedule in effect now that the " Marama " has been temporarily dropped from the Auckland-Vancouver service these mails are due to reach Montreal by Thursday in time for despatch on Saturday's boat, sailing either from Canadian port or from New York, whichever will afford the more expeditious transmission. I may say that we have been endeavouring to build up our own Atlantic mail-service, and prior to the outbreak of the war had established a regular service three times a week in summer and twice a week in winter. We trust that as soon as conditions become normal again our regular service will be resumed. We would prefer, in all cases not involving delay, to send your mails by this all-British route, and I beg leave to inquire whether your Administration is agreeable to this. I have, &c, R. M. Coulter, Deputy Postmaster-General. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office. Wellington.

No. 62. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, sth October, 1914. I have the honour to refer to the fact that the Vancouver mail-steamer "Marama" exceeded the contract time on the voyage, Auckland to Vancouver, commenced on the 31st July last, and on the voyage, Vancouver to Auckland, ended on the 25th ultimo, and to inform you