F.—6

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The Agent-General will, on behalf of his Government, be much obliged if the PostmasterGeneral will be good enough to give the matter further consideration, with the view of arranging that only correspondence posted during the week following the outward mail vid San Francisco be sent by way of Italy, the use of the Federal line during the two other periods being restricted to specially addressed articles. I am, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, E.C. Walter Kennaway.

Enclosure 2 in No. 142. The Secretary, General Post Office, London, to the Agent-General. Sir,— General Post Office, E.C, Bth March, 1901. I am directed to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th of last month, relative to the routes employed for the transmission of mails from this country for New Zealand. In reply, I am to state that the present arrangements were made by the Postmaster-General after very careful consideration of all the circumstances, and that any proposed revision should be supported, by complete details of the comparative working of the new service via San Francisco and of the services vid Suez, showing the day and hour of arrival of the mails at Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Dunedin, and Invercargill. The New Zealand Post Office furnishes such a return to this department monthly, though somewhat tardily, the last received being that for November. From this it appears that, if the letters despatched from London for New Zealand vid Suez on the 2nd November had been held back until the 10th for conveyance by way of San Francisco, they would have arrived at Auckland thirty-seven hours earlier, but that, on the other hand, they would have been received at Wellington twenty hours later, at Christchurch forty-five hours later, at Dunedin seventy-six hours later, and at Invercargill one hundred and two hours later. I am, &c, The Agent-General for New Zealand. H. Buxton Forman.

No. 143. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 14th March, 1901. Referring to my letter of the 22nd ultimo, I beg to enclose herewith copy of the letter I addressed to the Imperial Post Office upon the receipt of your cablegram of the 7th instant, relating to the payment to the United States Post Office of the sea-rates for the conveyance of mails from this country for New Zealand and Australia by the San Franciso route. A copy of your cablegram is also enclosed. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. P. Reeves.

[For Enclosure 1 in No. 143 see No. 141.] Enclosure 2 in No. 143. The Secretary to the Agent-General to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir,— 13, Victoria Street, S.W., Bth March, 1901. Referring to your letter of the 13th ultimo, and to my reply of the 14th idem [Enclosures 1 and 2in No. 139], lam directed by the Agent-General to state that, as the United States Post Office is disinclined to agree to New Zealand receiving the sea-rates, his Government can raise no objection to the payment being made in accordance with the regulations of the Postal Union. I am, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, E.C. Walter Kennaway.

No. 144. The Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of Foreign Mails, Washington, Sir,— 16th March, 1901. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 4th ultimo, relative to the failure to make proper connection at Chicago of the mails from New Zealand for the United Kingdom which were despatched from New York on the 29th December last per the steamer " Campania," and stating that you would be much obliged if this department could in any way assist to overcome the apparent faulty transfer arrangements of the railroad companies at Chicago. In reply, I have to inform you that the failure of the mails in question to make the usual connection at Chicago appears not to have been due to " faulty transfer arrangements of the railroad companies at Chicago," but to the fact that the engine of the train conveying the mails became disabled after the train left Council Bluffs, lowa, an accident which, of course, could not be foreseen or prevented,