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No. 6. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Chief Postmastee, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd September, 1903. It has now been decided that the departure of the mail-steamers for San Francisco from your port shall be at 3 p.m. instead of 2 p.m. You have probably been advised of this by the agents.

No. 7. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Hendeeson and Macfaelane, Auckland. Gentlemen,— General Post Office, Wellington, 9th October, 1903. I have the honour to bring under your notice that the Mail-agent of this Department, in his report of the voyage of the R.M.S. " Sonoma," which arrived at Auckland on the 4th instant, states that there is urgent need for the enlargement of the stowing-room on the lower deck under the mail-room of the vessel. He points out that, whereas the room has accommodation for only 420 sacks, there were shipped at San Francisco 1,114 sacks, of which 383 were for Australia, and that much of the mail for New Zealand had to be stowed in the baggage-room, where it remained throughout the voyage. The inconvenience and loss of time likely to arise from the want of sufficient storage-space is apparent. It is understood that there would be little difficulty in increasing the size of the stowing-room, and I shall be glad to hear that this will be done in time to meet the additional requirements necessitated by the heavy Christmas mails which it is expected will be carried by the " Sonoma " on her next voyage. I have, &c, Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, W. GfiAif, Secretary. General Agents for New Zealand, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland.

No. 8. Pacific Mail-sebvices : Resolutions passed by the House of Representatives, 13th November, 1903. Resolved, San Francisco Mail-service. 1. That, whereas the contract entered into on the 30th June, 1902, between the PostmasterGeneral and the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company, of San Francisco, for the performance of a threeweekly mail-service between Auckland and San Francisco, having expired in May last, the service is now being carried on under a temporary arrangement for a period up to six months : _ This House authorises the Government to enter into a further contract with the said company for the renewal of the service for a period of three years as from the 10th November, 1903, in terms of the contract already referred to, which will be found in Parliamentary Paper F.-6, 1902. Vancouver Mail-service. 2. That this House also empowers the Government to establish a mail-service between the Port of Vancouver and a port in New Zealand, subject to the following conditions :— (a.) That the contract shall be for a term of three years. (b.) That the payment shall not exceed £20,000 per annum. (c.) That the service shall be performed by vessels of not less that 6,000 tons, having firstclass passenger-accommodation, and fitted with all modern improvements, and also refrigerating-chambers, and chilled chambers for fruit and dairy-produce. (d.) That the time shall not exceed eighteen days between Vancouver and a New Zealand port, the selection of which to be at the contractor's option. (c.) That the terms and conditions of contract, as far as they can be applied, shall be similar to those governing the San Francisco mail-service.

No. 9. The Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Hendeeson and Macfaelane, Auckland. (Telegram.) Wellington, 16th November, 1903. Refebeing to the resolutions passed by the House on Saturday morning, renewing the San Francisco mail-service for three years, I shall be obliged if you will cable purport of same to Mr. Spreckels, and learn from him at once whether or not he accepts the terms of the renewal. It is desirable that contract should be prepared forthwith.

No. 10. Messrs. Hendeeson and Macfaelane, Auckland, to the Seceetaey, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Auckland, 18th November, 1903. We cabled Mr.' Spreckels, president Oceanic Steamship Company, yesterday as follows—'' House renewed contract for three years. Government asks if you will accept" ; and have just received reply, " We will accept."