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have the honour to inform you that your representations were transmitted to the Commonwealth Administration, which replies that it should not be called upon to bear the cost of the services rendered, as the obligation of landing the mails was on your company as contractors. I shall be glad, therefore, if you will forward me the amount to enable it, to be credited to the Commonwealth Post Office. I have, &c, F, V. Waters, Assistant Secretary The Secretary, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 80. The Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Melbourne. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 6th November, 1914. In reference to your letter of the Bth ultimo requesting that you be advised by cable when vessels having on board mails for Victoria depart from New Zealand, I have the honour to inform you that this will be done in future. It is presumed that the advice will be required cnhy in respect of mails leceived via San Francisco and Vancouver. I have, &c, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Melbourne. G. B. Diall, Assistant Secretary. [P. & T. 37/152.]

No. 81. Ike Secretary, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Dunedin, 11th November, 1914. I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the sth November, and note that the Commonwealth Administration insist on our paying the charges referred to in your letter of the 26th September. I therefore beg to enclose cheque for the amount, £7 7s. 5d., for which kindly sign and return at your convenience the attached receipt. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. C. Hughes, SecreUry. [Acknowledged, 21st November, 1914.] [P. & T. 36/11.] *

No. 82. The Acting Deputy Postmaster-General, Melbourne, to the Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Postmaster-General's Department, General Post Office, Sir, — Melbourne, 30th November, 1914 With reference to your communication of the 6th instant, in connection with my request that advice be furnished by cable when vessels having mails for Victoria on board depart from Zealand, I beg to inform you that, in order to determine how many sorters should be sent to Sydney to deal with such mails en route to Melbourne, it is desired that the number of bags, &c, for Victoria on board vessels from San Francisco and Vancouver-, including mails from England sent via those places, be advised to this office. I shall esteem it a favour if you will kindly cause arrangements to be made accordingly. I have, &c, W. B. Crosbie, Acting Deputy Postmaster-General. The Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [P. & T. 37/162.]

No. 83. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 18th February, 1915. Adverting to your letter of the 13th June, 1910 [No. 67. F.-6, 1910], agreeing to continue the Wellington-Sydney mail-service from mouth to month, I have now the honour- to give your company notice that payment of the subsidy will be discontinued at the end of one month from date. The usual gratuities will then be paid for mails despatched by vessels engaged in the performance of the service. At the present time the service is used for the conveyance of mails for the United Kingdom only once in four weeks, and even this will not be necessary when your company is able to arrange to return to the regular fortnightly alternate sailings via Vancouver and San Francisco. I shall be glad of your acknowledgment of the receipt of this notification. I have, &c, W. R. Morris, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [P. & T. 36/11.]