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10

APPENDICES.

Sir,— 6th October, 1898. I have the honour to forward you, as requested, the following returns relating to the performance of the San Francisco and Vancouver mail-services: (1.) Tables showing the inward and outward delivery of the San Francisco mails with Auckland as the port of arrival and departure, and the delivery under a 15- and a 16-knot service, compared with the deliveries were Wellington, instead of Auckland, the port of arrival and departure. (2.) Table showing the present running of the Vancouver service, and the days of arrival at and departure from New Zealand and Vancouver under a 15- and a 16-knot contract. The coastal delivery is not what has been carried out, and can only be accomplished under very favourable conditions. No allowance is made for the fact that the steamers can only arrive and leave Onehunga according to the state of the tide, and, as a rule, during daylight, nor for detentions at New Plymouth. It should be noted that under the present Wednesday departure from San Francisco, which was only adopted in March last, the mails are not due in Auckland until 8 p.m. on the Tuesday. The steamers, however, have reached Auckland in the morning, considerably within contract time, which enabled the south mails being forwarded from Onehunga the same day. Were the mails not to arrive in Auckland until 8 p.m. the Manukau steamer might probably have to wait for daylight. It should be mentioned that prior to April last the inward San Francisco mails were not due in Auckland until the week after the despatch of the Homeward mails, and it is only since then that the inward mail could possibly reach Wellington before the departure of the outgoing one. Since April the San Francisco mails have arrived at Auckland four times on Tuesday (due date) and thrice on Wednesday; and on four occasions the mails were delivered at Wellington on Wednesday night, giving the business people here the whole of Thursday for replies, the outward mail finally closing at 6 o'clock on Friday morning. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Chairman, Extension of Commerce and Industries Committee, Parliament Buildings, Wellington.

Pacific Mail-services. Tables showing the days of the week and times the San Francisco mails are due in America from New Zealand and in New Zealand from America under present conditions ; also when the mails would be due under a 15- and 16-knot contract : —

San Francisco Service (Inward). Present departure from San Francisco every fourth Wednesday at, say, midnight. Train with last portion of London mails due at 8.45 p.m.

Distance between San Francisco and Auckland, 5,925 miles. Time allowed under present contract, 19 days=456 hours. Present stoppages: Honolulu, 12 hours; Apia, 4 hours. If first port of call were Wellington, then the times of arrival would be: —

Distance between San Francisco and Wellington, 6,213 miles. Stoppages : Honolulu, 12 hours ; Apia, 4 hours.

Mails due at Present Speed, 13-47 Knots to Auckland. At 15 Knots to Auckland. At 16 Knots to Auckland. Auckland Wellington Christchurch Dunedin Tuesday, 8 p.m. Thursday, i a.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. .. *Friday, 8 a.m. Sunday, 11 p.m. Tuesday, 7 a.m. Tuesday, 11 p.m. .. * Wednesday, 11 a.m... Saturday, 10 p.m. Monday, 6 a.m. Monday. 10 p.m. .. "Tuesday, 10 a.m.

Mails due at Speed, 13-47 Knots to Wellington. At 15 Knots to Wellington. 1 At 16 Knots to Wellington. Wellington Auckland Christchurch Dunedin .. Wednesday, 6 p.m. .. Thursday, midnight Thursday, 10 a.m. .. .. 'Thursday, 9 p.m. Monday, 7 p.m. Wednesday, 1 a.m. .. .. Tuesday, 11 a.m. .. 'Tuesday, 9 p.m. Sunday, 5 p.m. Monday, 11 p.m. Mondav, 9 p.m. .. 'Monday, 9 p.m. * By express train. If by special train, say, 1'2 hours from Christchurch.