F.—6

26

In order to take the matter up with our Sydney office I will be glad if you could see your way to let me have a copy of the account for £1 7s. 5d., which will no doubt give full particulars as to the dates and what the expense represents. I might add that apparently the items referred to covered a period when shipping business generally was dislocated by the labour troubles. With regard to the request that every effort be made to land mails not later than 6.50 p.m. on Tuesdays, we can give the Department every assurance that this will be done, as it is only in the case of unforeseen circumstances, such as bad weather, that steamers have arrived after that hour. I have, &c, The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. C. Hughes, Secretary. [Communicated to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, 3rd September.]

No. 73. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, 15th September, 1914. With reference to your communication of the 3rd instant relative to a claim by this Administration to be reimbursed to the extent of £7 7s. sd. for work done in connection with the landing of New Zealand mails, I have the honour to forward herewith a copy of a report [not printed] by the Superintendent of Mails, Sydney, which contains full particulars of the services rendered by this Department. 2. From the report it will be seen that, in addition to the services for which payment is desired, this Department is put to a considerable amount of inconvenience and unnecessary expense by reason of the late arrival of the New Zealand boats, and I am glad to note that the Union Company has assured your Administration that, every effort will be made to land the mails at Sydney on Tuesdays not later than 6.50 p.m., in accordance with the contract. 3. As the mail-train from Sydney is timed for departure at 8 p.m., it will be understood that the time available for the transfer of the mails from the wharf to the train is very small, and any delay in landing necessitates special effort in order to avoid the expense to your Administration of the chartering of a special train. I have, &c, * Justinian Oxenham, Secretary. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [Communicated to the Secretary, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, 26th September.]

No. 74. Messrs. Huddart-Parker (Limited), Wellington, to the Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Huddart, Parker, and Co. Proprietary (Limited), Sir, — ' Wellington, 22nd September, 1914. T.S.S. " Ulimaroa " : This boat is due to leave Wellington for Sydney on Friday next, but she has been delayed by bad weather in Sydney, and also by congestion of cargo due to the discharge of New Zealand consignments in Australia from boats that have become troop-ships. We shall be glad, therefore, if we can postpone the sailing of the " Ulimaroa " until 3 p.m. on Saturday, as we understand that it is an Orient connection in Sydney next week. An immediate reply will oblige. We have, &c, C. W. Jones, Manager for New Zealand. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington.

No. 75. The Assistant-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Huddart-Parker (Limited), Wellington. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 22nd September, 1914. In reference to your letter of to-day applying for permission to despatch the s.s. " Ulimaroa " from Wellington to Sydney at 3 p.m. on Saturday, the 26th instant, instead of on Friday, the 25th instant, I beg to inform you that the desired permission is given conditionally on your guaranteeing that the mail-connection will be made at Sydney with the despatch to the United Kingdom by the Orient steamer. I have, Ac, G. B. Dall, Assistant, Secretary. Messrs. Huddart-Parker (Limited), Wellington.