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No. 36. The Secretary, Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourists, Wellington, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Department of Agriculture, Commerce, and Tourists, (Memorandum.) Wellington, sth November, 1910. With reference to your minute of to-day [not printed] on ths attached letter from the Union Steam Ship Company in regard to the contract for the new San Francisco - New Zealand steamer service, there is no objection 1o the contracts providing that ths maximum freight rates on wool and phormium-hbre should apply to these goods only when dumped. With regard to skins, however, the position is that skins are sometimes dumped before shipment and sometimes not, and I understand that the dumping process decreases the value of the skins. That being so, it would be well for the maximum freight to be stipulated for undumped skins, if the company wishes to insist on confining the present rate to dumped skins alone. I take it that if the rate already embodied in the contract applied to dumped skins only, shippers of undumped skins would have to make their own arrangements in regard to freight rates with the company. The Secretary, General Post Office. F. S. Pope, Secretary. Wll.-S.F. 10/212.] ________________

No. 37. The Resident Agent fob New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 15th November, 1910. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the Bth ultimo in reference to the inauguration of the Union Steam Ship Company's direct mail line from Wellington, and enclosing parliamentary papers in connection therewith; also requesting my cooperation in making the connections by rail and steamer through to Europe. I shall do everything in my power to facilitate the rapid transmission of the mails across the continent and also across the Atlantic. Although the " Aorangi " reached this port soon after 7 a.m. on the 11th instant, I regret to report that owing to the serious delays in quarantine the mails failed to connect with the Overland Limited leaving at 10.40 a.m., and left at 6.40 p.m. instead. This failure to connect has, I fear, caused the loss of the connection at New York with the fast steamer " Lusitania," of the Canard line, the mails being due at New York to-morrow at 7.55 a.m. and the " Lusitania " being scheduled to leave at about 7.40 a.m. I have placed myself in communication with the Cunard Company and the Postmaster at New York in the hope that I may be enabled U> hold the "Lusitania" about one hour for the connection, but as Mr. Vernon Brown, the late general manager of the Cunard Company, has now retired, I do not know how much influence I can bring to bear upon the steamship company to effect the detention. If possible I shall let you know in the morning if advices reach me prior to the departure of the "Aorangi." I am advised that the mails west-bound passed Ogden last night, and should reach here by 10 a.m. to-morrow, so the " Aorangi " should get off on time. It is much to be regretted that the local delay should have occurred upon this first trip, but I shall, in conjunction with Messrs. Spreckels and Company, endeavour to make such representations to the quarantine authorities that similar delays can be avoided in future. I sincerely trust that the Union Steam Ship Company will continue to make as early arrivals at this port as possible, sines the 10.40 a.m. express from this city is none too early to assure connection with the fast Cunard steamers from New York on Wednesday. I .mi arranging for notice of mails passing Chicago to be sent me by wire as soon as forwarded to New York, as heretofore, so that I shall be in a position to use all possible exertion to hold the Atlantic steamer in case of close calls such as this; and in the winter we must anticipate transcontinental delays that may seriously interfere with the connections. I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, Resident Agent for the Dominion of New Zealand. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Wn.-N.F. 10/254-5.] __________________

No. 38. The Secretary. General Post Office, Wellington, to the Assistant General Manac.eh, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 16th November, 1910. Referring to your letter of the 3rd instant, I beg to enclose the San Francisco mailservice agreement which has been signed in duplicate by the Postmaster-General. An additional clause has been .added on page 2 agreeing that the rates of freight on skins, wool, and phormiumfibre refer to this class of cargo when dumped. Will you kindly have the new clause signed by your directors; and also fill up in each copy the blank referring to the affixing of the common seal of your company. This, I presume, will be your own name. When the documents are completed, will you kindly retain ome and return the other to this office. I have. &c. D. Robertson, Secretary. The Assistant General Manager, Union Steum Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), [Wn.-S.F. 10/224.] DUDedin -