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No. 288. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Extract from unofficial letter.) General Post Office, Wellington, 28th April, 1899. ... I am disappointed at your Suez service proposals. As already indicated, we do not want a weekly connection, and I think, even by reducing your time to ten days you might be able to arrange for the steamers for Sydney leaving here, say, every alternate Wednesday and Saturday. We should only require one fixed Wednesday departure in the month. If this cannot be arranged, then I think there is little chance of coming to terms. While your proposals may be worth £12,000 a year to yourselves, certainly the connection would not be worth anything like that to the Government. ... . Your sailings from Sydney and Melbourne answer admirably for the incoming mails, and I should be glad to learn that on further consideration you will be able to see your way to arrange as I have suggested—that is, to despatch your Sydney boat from here every fourth Wednesday.

No. 289. The Secbetaby/ General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Extract from unofficial letter.) General Post Office, Wellington, 11th May, 1899. . ■; ' . . I suppose you have not yet had the time to thresh out your winter intercolonial running. In any case, I hope that you will have matters so far advanced as to be able to arrange for a-'steamer leaving here on Thursday, 25th instant. I fully realise your difficulties, but I trust you will find they are not so great as you originally anticipated. If you start your running from the 25th, the other dates you gave should answer. In respect of the sailing from Wellington on Saturday, 10th June, I would propose for that month to send the mails to Auckland for transmission by the steamer which I understand you can arrange for Tuesday the 20th. Under this arrangement the mails would leave Dunedin Saturday, and Wellington Monday.

No. 290. The Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 15th May, 1899. Refeebing your private letter eleventh will maintain weekly service Sydney meantime, so that there will be no steamer from Wellington Thursday 25th. There may be some risk about sending mails per " Mararoa" from Auckland 22nd instant, as if "Perthshire" is not heard of by that time I shall allow captain take northerly course in hope of picking her up and if she does so her arrival in Sydney may be delayed or she might return with the " Perthshire " to Auckland.

No. 291. The Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. (Extract from unofficial letter.) Dunedin, 17th May, 1899. . . . . I am sorry I have not done anymore re Cook Strait service. .... Meanwhile we are struggling on with the weekly service calling at Sydney, &c. The " Waikare," however, is to be withdrawn next month I mentioned in my telegram that in case you thought of sending mails by the "Mararoa" from Auckland next Monday we propose to allow her to cruise a little to the northward, extending her passage by twelve to twenty hours, in the hope of picking up the " Perthshire." If she does this she will not catch the mail. . . .

No. 292. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. (Extract from unofficial letter.) General Post Office, Wellington, 19th May, 1899. . . . . I hope you will be able to settle the intercolonial running before the arrival of the next San Francisco mail, and let me know what you are likely to do about a Suez connection. The " Mararoa," having to search for the " Perthshire," could not be depended upon, and it was fortunate that we could fall back upon the " Upolu " and "Warrimoo." ...

No. 293. The Managing Dieectoe, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. (Unofficial.) Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) Deab Me. Geay,— Dunedin, 25th May, 1899. I have been studying the intercolonial time-table a little further during the past few days and have decided to bring in the ten-days service about the middle of June. As far as I can see' the dates from Wellington cannot be made to suit you in June or July. In August, though the departures from Wellington will be on a Thursday to suit you. I hope to have the time-table matured in a day or two, and will advise you what we can do. Yours truly, W. Gray, Esq., Wellington. J.Mills.