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Enclosure 4 in No. 24. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Agent-General. Sir,— General Post Office, London, 29th April, 1897. Referring to your further letter of the 23rd instant, I beg leave to inform you that, according to a report from the Postmaster of San Francisco, only received here on the 22nd, the steamer " Zealandia," which conveyed the mail for this country, despatched from Auckland on the 20th February, reached San Francisco two days late—namely, on the 13th instead of the 11th March—by reason of her slow speed and the rough weather she encountered. This delay, no doubt, accounts for the failure of the mail to reach New York in time to be sent on to this country by the packet " Paris " on the 17th March. I am, &c, W. Roche, The Agent-General for New Zealand. For the Secretary.

No. 25. The Hon. W. C. Walker to the Agent-General. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 11th June, 1897. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your memorandum of the 30th April last, transmitting copy of correspondence exchanged between your office and the London Post Office on the subject of the delay in the transmission of the mails of the 20th February from this colony for London, vid San Francisco. I have, &c, W. C. Walker, For the Premier. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

No. 26. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Uuion Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 26th May, 1897. I have the honour to forward herewith an account showing the amount of £2,468 6s. 9d. to be due your company for the conveyance of mails by the steamers of the San Francisco service during the contract period 1895-96 ; also a statement of the proportion of subsidy earned by each of the mail-steamers. A voucher for the amount due has been passed for payment. You will observe that a penalty of £200 —fifty hours at £4 an hour—has been enforced for the late arrival of the " Monowai "at San Francisco in February, 1896. Should you, however, have any representations to advance in favour of a reduction in the amount I shall be glad to submit them to the Acting Postmaster-General for his consideration. I have, &c. Thomas Rose, The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company For the Secretary, of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 27. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) ' Dunedin, 28th May, 1897. Referring your letter 26: Have you not overlooked clause eleven, which gives forty-eight hours' grace ?

No. 28. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) General Post Office, Wellington, 29th May, 1897. Be penalty : As department reads contract, the penalty for the full time is incurred when the forty-eight hours' limit has been exceeded. I would, however, draw your attention to last paragraph of my letter of 26th.

No. 29. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sir,— Dunedin, 10th June, 1897. This gives me the pleasure to acknowledge receipt of your favour of 26th ultimo, enclosing schedule of mail-earnings of San Francisco steamers for 1895-96. You have deducted £200 for the