P.—6

10

Enclosure in No. 20. Statement showing the Weights of Mail Matter despatched from Australia for onward conveyance from Wellington to San Francisco by the subsidised steamers via Tahiti during the year 1909, based on the weights of the mails despatched during May, 1909, to connect with the contract steamer from Wellington on the 27th idem.

Sydney to Wellington .. .. 1,200 miles | Wellington to Papeete .. ... 2,340 .. Portion of transit claimed. Papeete to San Francisco .. .. 3,640 .. I 7.180 miles. D. Robertson. Secretary. General Cost Office, Wellington, 20th November. 1909.

No. 21. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam ship Company, Dunedin. (Telegram.) Wellington, 2nd December, 1909. Pending the result of other negotiations proceeding with you, it is suggested that the Wellington Tahiti mail-service be continued until the end of March next. It is considered, however, that it would be a great improvement, and save three or four days in transport of the inward mails, if you arranged the Auckland Tahiti service as five-weekly instead of four-weekly, the Auckland steamer arriving sufficiently early to be able to leave Tahiti immediately on the arrival of the " Mariposa " from San Francisco, the Wellington steamer to continue as at present to reach Tahiti just before the departure of the " Mariposa " for San Francisco. If this could be done, and the service were slightly accelerated, Government is willing to consider the division of the present subsidies between Auckland Tahiti and Wellington-Tahiti services at the rate of. say. £4.000 a year for each service. Kindly favour me with your views early.

No. 22. The Managing Director. Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 3rd December. 1909. Re Tahiti service. At first sight, think from company's point of view would view proposal favourably, but think serious objection would be offered by Auckland people to proposed five-weekly service, as they have had a four-weekly service for many years, and would look upon it as retrograde step as far ;is they were concerned. A further objection from their point of view is that the arrivals of steamers from Tahiti, Tonga, and Fiji are at present arranged to avoid clashing, and enable markets to be regulated to advantage, and this would be impossible in case of five-weekly service. Concurrence of Tahiti Government would have to be secured, as we have always had formal contract with them renewed from time to time for four-weekly service from Auckland, under which we receive subsidy of £700 per annum and freedom from dues in group. Would point out that under proposed arrangement steamers would not alternate at equal intervals, as our steamers only require at most two days in Tahiti, and " Mariposa " remains four days. There would thus be an interval of six days between the departure of our steamers from New Zealand and four days from Papeete. Doubt whether it would be possible to accelerate the service for present subsidy, as more expensive steamers would be required.

Despatching State. Net Weights. Letters and Post-cards. Other Articles. i New South Wales Victoria Queensland South Australia Western Australia Tasmania lb. oz. lb. oz. 85 o 1,169 0 74 12 1.560 0 20 4£ 189 3 14 1 188 0 4 15 88 1 . i Total of one despatch 199 0£ 3,194 4 199 0£ 3,194 4 Total of ten despatches i Amounts due to New Zealand 1,990 5 31,942 8 At 2s. 4-77d. per At 3-59d. per pound pound (6'66 francs (83 ctms. per kilo.), per kilo.). £238 £477 16s. 2d. 11s. 9d. £716 7s. lid. I ,