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No. 58. The Secretaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. W. M. Bannatynb and Co. (Limited), Wellington. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 3rd March, 1902. I have the honour to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of your letter of the 28th ultimo, forwarding a schedule of the fares by the San Francisco mail-steamers, also copy of the schedule of freight-charges from Auckland to Pago Pago, Honolulu, and San Francisco. I have, &c, W. Gbay, Secretary. Messrs. W. M. Bannatyne and Co. (Limited), Wellington.

No. 59. The Secretaby, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Hendebson and Macfarlane, Auckland. Gentlemen, — General Post Office, Wellington, 6th March, 1902. I have the honour, by direction, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th ultimo, asking whether it could be arranged for the southern portion of the outward San Francisco mails to reach Auckland earlier than at present, so that the mail-steamers might leave at 10 a.m. instead of 2 p m., and thus insure their arriving at Pago Pago during dayiight. In reply, I have to express regret that your proposal to run a night train with the mails from Wellington to New Plymouth on the Thursday could not be entertained. I will, however, refer the question of an earlier despatch to the Chief Postmaster, Auckland, to see whether under existing arrangements it would not be possible to get the steamers away earlier than 2 p.m. I may add that I learn there are not now the difficulties which formerly existed in entering Pago Pago at night, and I assume that when the lighting of the harbour is completed and the wharf finished it will be possible for vessels to arrive and leave after dark. I have, &c, Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, W. Gbay, Secretary. General Agents for New Zealand for the Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland.

No. 60. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Hendebson and Macfarlane, Auckland. Gentlemen, — Wellington, 14th March, 1902. Adverting to my letter of the 6th instant, in reference to your request that the mailsteamers for San Francisco might leave Auckland at 10 a.m. instead of 2 p.m., I have the honour, by direction, to express regret that, after referring the question of an earlier despatch to the Chief Postmaster, Auckland, the Postmaster-General is unable to see his way to favourably consider your request, as the existing arrangements will not admit of the steamers being despatched with the mails before 2 p.m. I have, &c, Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, W. Gray, Secretary. General Agents for New Zealand for the Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland.

No. 61. Mr. Speoul (Messrs. Hendebson and Macfablane), Wellington, to the Secretaby, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), Sir,— Wellington, 16th April, 1902. We have the honour to revert to our interview with the Hon. Postmaster-General and your good self yesterday, and to confirm the various amendments in the draft contract for the conveyance of ocean mails by the steamers of Messrs. the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company made by that firm, and submitted by us as general agents for the Oceanic Steamship Company of San Francisco and New Zealand. We take it that the Hon. the Postmaster-General is pleased to agree to the exclusion and inclusion, as the case may be, of all such amendments, with the exception of those amendments dealing with the delay of Oceanic steamers either at San Francisco or at Auckland, and the demurrage to be paid by the New Zealand Government for such delays. With regard to the departure of the Oceanic Steamship Company's steamers from Auckland, we understand that the Hon. the Postmaster-General must have the power to delay any steamer for a period not exceeding twenty-four hours, and that no demurrage for the first twelve hours' delay will be paid, and that demurrage at the ra.te of £5 per hour for each hour after the first twelve hours from scheduled time of departure will be paid. With respect to agreeing to the Postmaster-General's having the power to delay the steamer at San Francisco until such time after the scheduled hour of departure as the British mails can