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No. 148. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the J. D. Spreckels and Brothers Company, San Francisco. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, Ist April, 1901. I have the honour to forward herewith copy of a letter, dated the 15th February last, from the Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, with reference to the detention of the mailsteamers at San Francisco to await the British closed mails for New Zealand and the Australian States, whenever that course may be necessary to secure the prompt despatch of mails which may have been delayed en route to San Francisco. " I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. Messrs. the J. D. Spreckels and Brothers Company, San Francisco. [A letter in the same terms addressed to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco.]

No. 149. The Hon. the Premier to the Agent-General. Sir, — Premier's Office, Wellington, 3rd April, 1901. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd February last, forwarding correspondence exchanged between yourself and the manager of the American and Australian line of steamers, in connection with the delay to the New Zealand and Australian mails for London vid San Francisco which left Auckland in January. In reply, I have to inform you that the " Sierra " did not leave New Zealand until the 22nd January, three days late, reaching San Francisco on the 10th February, six days late. Both the late departure from Auckland and the delay on the Pacific were due to an accident to the piston of one of the low-pressure cylinders after the departure from Honolulu on the inward voyage, reducing the rate of speed. As it was not practicable to effect repairs at Sydney, the vessel had to perform the voyage to San Francisco under unfavourable conditions, resulting in a further delay in arrival at San Francisco. I have, &c, J. G. Ward, for the Premier. The Hon. W. P. Reeves, Agent-General for New Zealand, London.

No. 150. The Agent-General to the Hon. the Premier. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., Sir,— 3rd April, 1901. Referring to your cablegram (copy herewith) of the 19th March, I beg herewith to transmit copy of correspondence, by which you will see that the Imperial Post Office repeat the demand made in their letter of the Bth March (copy of which went with my letter of the 13th March) for further 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, and that in the absence of these details your request set forth in your above-mentioned cablegram will not be complied with. I have, &c, The Hon. the Premier, Wellington. W. P. Reeves.

[For Enclosure 1 in No. 150 see No. 145.] Enclosure 2 in No. 150. The Secretary to the Agent-General to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Sir,— 13, Victoria Street, S.W., 20th March, 1901. Referring to your letter of the Bth instant [Enclosure 2in No. 142], lam directed by the Agent-General to inform you that he has been instructed by his Government to point out that the mail vid Italy, leaving London in the week before the mail vid San Francisco, reaches the North Island of New Zealand one or two days after the arrival of the succeeding San Francisco mail, and, in reference thereto, to request the favour of the Postmaster-General directing that the North Island mails be sent vid Italy only in the first week after the mails vid San Francisco leave London, and that the San Francisco service be made available for the other mails for that part of New Zealand. I am further directed by the Agent-General to state that, as regards the mails for the South Island of New Zealand, his Government do not wish at present that any alteration be made in the routes adopted by the Postmaster-General for their transmission to the colony. I am, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, E.C. Walter Kennaway.