F.—G

that as in each case the delay is understood to have arisen from the state of war and your company not to be responsible for it, the Postmaster-General will not, impose the penalty provided for in the contract. I have, &c, F. V. Waters, Acting-Secretary. Ihe General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Acknowledged, 9th October.]

No. 63. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 16th November, 1914. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 29th September last regarding the route beyond Vancouver of New Zealand mails for the United Kingdom. This Department desires that the mails be forwarded by the more expeditious route, whichever it may be, and I should be obliged if you would arrange accordingly. I should also be glad if you would supply this Department regularly with time-tables of the various steamship companies by which mails are forwarded from Canadian ports. I have, &c, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa. W. R. Morris, Secretary.

No. 64. The Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 26th November, 1914. I have the honour to inform you that, in connection with the renewal this year of the San Francisco mail-service contract, the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), the contractors for the San Francisco and Vancouver services, "agreed to reduce the freight on butter carried by the Vancouver mail-steamers by one-eighth of a penny per pound from the 29th June, 1914, until the 31st March, 1916, and to further reduce it by one-eighth of a penny per pound from the Ist April, 1916; and to enclose for your use three copies of the deed of agreement providing for the reduction. I have, &c, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa. F. V. Waters, Assistant Secretary. [Copies sent to Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin; the Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Auckland; the Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington; and the Department of Agriculture, Wellington.]

No. 65. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, 24th December, 1914. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 16th ultimo, stating that your Administration desires that New Zealand mails for the United Kingdom be forwarded by this Department by the most expeditious route, whichever it may be, and to say that instructions have been issued to this effect. I have pleasure in enclosing, in compliance with your request, programme of the direct sailings between Canada and the United Kingdom for the winter season 1914-15 [not printed]. I have, &c, R. M. Coulter, Deputy Postmaster-General. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand.

No. 66. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sir, — Dunedin, 26th February, 1915. We attach herewith, for your information, copies of correspondence just to hand from our Vancouver representative with regard to the overland carriage of mails from New Zealand. These speak for themselves. I have, &c, R. McK. McLennan, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. For General Manager. [Acknowledged, 3rd March, 1915.]

Enclosure 1 in No. 66. 'The Superintendent, Railway Mail-service, Vancouver, to the General Agent, CanadianAustralian Line, Vancouver. Sm, — Office of the Superintendent R.M.S., Vancouver, 8.C., 9th January, 1915; In connection with the forwarding of mails from New Zealand for the United Kingdom overland I have authority to route these mails whichever way furnishes the quickest despatch. With these mails arriving at Victoria in time for transfer on date of arrival to Canadian Pacific

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