F.—3.

No. 143. The Director-General of Posts, Berlin, to the General Post-Office, Wellington. Kaiserlich Deutsches Eeichs-Postamt, Berlin, W. 66, den 31 Mai, 1901.. Das Keichs-Postamt bedauert, dem dortseitigen Vorsehlage, die aus Neu-Seeland abgesendeten, mit einem Penny fur je 15 g (-J Unze) frankirten Briefe den Emphfangern in Deutschland ohne Nachtaxe zuzustellen, auch nach wiederholter Priifung nicht zustimmen zu konnen. Das Grundprincip dcs Weltpostvertrages, dass jede Verwaltung dass yon ihr erhobene Briefporto ungetheilt bebalt, hat die Gleichheit der Tarife zur Voraussetzung und lasst daher diesseitigen Erachtens em solches Yerfahren nicht zu. Die bezuglich der Zuschlagtaxen im Verein vorgesehene Ausnahme ist yon Anfang an nur als voriibergehend gedaoht worden und verschwindet yon Jahr zu Jahr mehr. Director-General of Posts, General Post Office, Wellington. .

[Translation.] The Imperial Post-Office regrets its inability, after renewed examination, to agree to New Zealand's proposition that letters from New Zealand prepaid at a penny per 15 grammes (per half-ounce) be delivered to addressees in Germany without surcharge. The fundamental principle of the Universal Postal Union that each Administration should retain its own postages is based on the presumption of equality of tariffs, and precludes, therefore, the adoption of such a course here. The surcharges in the Union which form the exception to the above principle were from their initiation considered as transitory, and disappear from year to year.

No. 144. The Director-General of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones, Sofia, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Direction Generale dcs Postes, dcs Telegraphes et dcs Telephones, Sofia, le 19 Mai (1 Juin), 1901. Monsieur le Directeur-General, — J'ai l'honneur de vous accuser la reception de votre lectre en date dv 9 Avril ecoule et de vous faire connaitre que j'ai examine de nouveau la question au sujet de la reduction de l'unite de la taxe a percevoir pour les lettres echangees entre nos deux pays et eventuellement de reeonnaicre comme dument affranchies toutes les lettres originaires de votre office, a destination de Bulgarie, dont le port d'affranchissement consisterait en -J once 10 centimes. En reponse, je viens de vous reiterer mes considerations anterieures et de vous informer que dv moment que les taxes aux lettres dans nos relations interieures, sont superieures a celles proposees par vous, il m'est impossible a mon tres vif regret, de me rallier a, votre proposition, nonobstant qu'elle me parait contraire a l'esprit dcs stipulations de l'Article 20 de la Convention Postale Universelle. Agreez, Monsieur, &c. Le Directeur-General, A Monsieur le Directeur-General dcs Postes, Wellington.

[Translation.] I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated the 9th April, and to inform you that I have again looked into the question of the reduction of the unit of postage to be levied on letters exchanged between our two countries, and the proposal to eventually recognise as fully prepaid all letters originating from your office addressed to Bulgaria on which prepayment is made at the rate of Id. per half^ounce. In reply, I beg to reiterate my previous reply, and to inform you that for the present the charges on letters in our internal relations are greater than those proposed by you, and it is therefore impossible for me, though with keen regret, to accept your proposal, notwithstanding that it would appear to be contrary to the spirit of Article 20 of the Universal Postal Convention.

No. 145. The Director-General of Posts, Telegraphs, and Telephones, Bucharest, Eoumania, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Direction Generale dcs Postes, dcs Telegraphes, et dcs Telephones, Monsieur le Maltbe-General, — Bucharest, le 8 Juin, 1901. Me referant a votre lettre dv 9 Avril dernier, j'ai l'honneur de vous communiquer que nous ne pouvons accepter votre proposition et que nous maintenons la reponse que nous vous avons donne par notre note No. 2448 dv 5 Fevrier dernier. . ■ ■ Agreez, &c, p. Le Directeur-General, Le Chef dv Service, Monsieur Iβ Maitre-General dcs Postes a Wellington. .

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