F.--3.

(a), page 10 of summary). I should therefore feel obliged if you would kindly inform me if it would not appear to you expedient to keep to the names adopted by Great Britain. As to the charge of 2-J-d. which your office levies for inquiries relating to registered articles when no acknowledgment of delivery has been prepaid (column 27 of summary), the question has already been advised to Administrations of the Union by circular of 7th March, 1900, No. 2501/116.

Enclosure. Besumes of Replies by the Undermentioned Administkations on Pjroposition of the New Zealand Office. Germany Sees in the proposition of New Zealand to introduce for letters a charge of Id. (10 centimes) in its relations with all the countries of the union a proof that, under the influence of the institutions of the union, the postal services of the Australian Colonies, which barely permitted them to adhere to the Principal Convention of 1891, has since then undergone a complete transformation in the sense of the ideas of progress which form the basis of the union. As the Administration of New Zealand was informed by the circular of the International Office of the Universal Postal Union of 3rd May, 1899, Germany adopted in its relations with its colonies, as well as for the relations between these colonies themselves, reductions in postages considerably greater than those which form the subject of the proposals of New Zealand Administration. The German office is therefore in principle in sympathy with the idea of reducing the letter tariff in the relations between Germany and German colonies on the one hand and New Zealand on the other. However, the moment of realising such a measure does not appear to have come as yet. The German public would not comprehend why the tariff on letters for a country so distant as New Zealand should be reduced while that of letters for nearer countries, and more particularly for adjoining countries, should be maintained at the present rate of 20 pfennigs per 15 grammes. Moreover, in view of the great financial bearing which the Administrations interested could not lose sight of, the German office considers that it is impossible to reduce at short notice in the relation with the countries in question the letter charge as proposed by New Zealand. In any case, the fixing of this charge is intimately connected with the difficult question of transit. Under these circumstances the German office regrets not being able to agree at this stage to the proposition of the New Zealand Administration, and requests that Administration to kindly see if it would not be convenient to submit to the next Congress this question, which is so important for the development of the union. Respecting the part of the proposition concerning the delivery without surcharge of letters from New Zealand to Germany which would be prepaid at the rate of Id. per 15 grammes, the German office remarks that it would not appear admissible to adopt for letters from New Zealand addressed to Germany a tariff different from that for letters from Germany addressed to New Zealand. In the opinion of the German office such a procedure would be contrary to one of the fundamental principles of the union—that of reciprocity. A derogation from this principle .can only be admitted in respect to surcharges (Article 5, paragraph 2, of the Principal Convention). Austria Regrets being unable to accept the proposal to introduce the reduced tariff of Id. per single rate for letters exchanged between Austria and New Zealand. Reduced charges are only applied in Austria in relations with some neighbouring countries. . The adoption of a reduced rate in the international service generally would entail too heavy a loss, while the introduction of such a measure in the exchange with one distant country would not respond to a real need of the traffic. On the grounds of reciprocity it is not possible to the Austrian office to deliver without surcharge letters originating in New Zealand which are prepaid only Id. in lieu of 2-Jd. per 15 grammes. Belgium Desires to keep to the provisions of Article 5 of the Principal Convention of Washington in respect to the tariff for correspondence in its reciprocal relations with the countries of the union. The Belgian office regrets not being able to accept the proposition to conclude a special agreement with a view to adopt in the relations with New Zealand a charge for prepayment lower than that of the union, either for letters exchanged between the two countries or solely for those which might be sent from New Zealand addressed to Belgium. In the opinion of the Belgian office the status quo should be maintained, leaving it to the next Congress to appreciate the opportunity for a reduction in the letter charge within the union. France Has replied to the Post Office of New Zealand that, on the one hand, France could not at this moment conclude a restricted union with a view to lowering the charge on letters exchanged between the two countries, and, on the other hand, the French Administration could not deliver without surcharge letters originating in New Zealand prepaid only Id. per 15 grammes, as this modification would destroy the parity of tariffs between the two countries and create in favour of senders from New Zealand a privileged treatment of 60 per cent., which could not fail to provoke criticism. Hungary Desires also in principle the reduction of the tariff of international correspondence, but on condition that the reduction be introduced in the exchanges between adjoining countries, or generally in the

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