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No. 18. The Hon. the Prime Minister to the Agent-General. (Telegram.) Wellington, 3rd December, 1903. Newspapers and periodicals, and your telegram twenty-third October: Obliged if you endeavour get Imperial Government accept New Zealand newspapers at penny per newspaper.

No. 19. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Director, International Bureau, Berne Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 12th December, 1903. I have the honour to inform you that, from the 16th May, 1903, the postage on newspapers from New Zealand addressed to places in Canada was altered to Id. each, irrespective of weight. I shall be obliged if you will notify Postal Union offices in the usual way. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Director, International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, Berne.

No. 20 Extract from the Report, dated 30th December, 1903, of the United States Post Office Department for the Year 1903, p. 24. Reduction in Foreign Kates of Postage. The International Postal Congress will convene at Rome, Italy, in March, 1904. [Note: Convention postponed to April, 1905.] Believing that the time has arrrived for a reduction in the rate of foreign postage, our representative at the Congress will be instructed to urge upon the members of the Postal Union the propriety of a reduction in the foreign rate of postage, especially so far as it may affect the rate now obtaining between the United States and the great commercial nations of Europe. It is confidently expressed that if the rate should be reduced from 5 to 3 cents, or even to 2 cents, it would result in a very short time in such an enormous increase in the interchange of communications as would bring greater financial returns than obtain from the present rate.

No. 21. -The Agent-General to the Hon. the Prime Minister. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, London, S.W., g IR) — 26th January, 1904. Referring to my cablegram of the 23rd October last and to your reply thereto of the 3rd December last, relative to the postage of newspapers sent from New Zealand, I beg to transmit herewith copy of correspondence with the Imperial Post Office by which it will be seen that the Postmaster-General is awaiting a communication from the Imperial Treasury. I have, &c, The Hon. the Prime Minister, Wellington. W. P. Reeves.

Enclosure 1 to No. 21. The Secretary to the Agent-General to the Secretary, General Post Office, London. Westminster Chambers, 13, Victoria Street, S.W., g IR _ 7th December, 1903. I am directed by the Agent-General to inform you that his Government have received an intimation to the effect that in the case of Canada the Postmaster-General has agreed to accept newspapers from that Dominion for delivery in the United Kingdom prepaid only at the Canadian domestic rates of postage, and that similar proposals from other colonies would receive full conThe Agent-General therefore will be obliged by the Postmaster-General giving his favourable consideration to the request, which he is instructed to make on behalf of his Government—namely, to accept newspapers posted in New Zealand at Id. rate of postage for each newspaper, irrespective of weififtit I am to add, for the information of the Postmaster-General, that the following are the New Zealand domestic rates of postage for newspapers according to the scale published in the latest issue of the New Zealand official Post and Telegraph Guide, namely,— Town and inland ... • ■•• ;■■ ••■ *<*• eac £- Australia, South Sea Islands, and Canada ... ... Id. each. I am, <fee, The Secretary, General Post Office, E.G. Walter Kennaway.