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No. 58. The Secretary. General Post office. Wellington oo the Gknhrai. Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sik. Genera] Poel Office, Wellington, 6th January, 1911. Mr. Stephenson .Siiiith informs me. in reply u> m\ oable of yesterday, thai lie has arranged for a tug to meet the " Aorangi " in the quarantine-ground. As regards trains: That leaving on Fridays at 10.40 a.m. is due in New York on Tuesday at 9.30 a.m., while that leaving on Friday al •> p.m. is due in New York on Wednesday at 8 a.m. Apparently there has been some misunderstanding about the mails landed from the "Aorangi " on her first voyage. I have, ifcc, D. ROBERTSOK. R. McK. Esq.. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited). Dunedin. I Wn.-S.F. 11/12.1

No. 59. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, n> the Secretary. General Post Office. Wellington. (Telegram. ) San Francisco, 6th January, 1911. " Aorangi " arrived 6th, 8 a.m. Mails connected 10 a.m. [Wn.-S.F. 11/16.]

No. 60. The Secretary. General Post Office. Wellington, to the Residbni Agbnt for Xfw Zealand, San Francisco. Sir. General Post Office, Wellington, 7th January, 1911. Referring to your telegram "i the sth instant on the subject "t' trains between San Francisco and New York. 1 am informed thai Sir James Mills gathered the impression that, in addition to the trains mentioned by you, there i> a train which carries nothing but mails. Can you inform me whether the information is oorrect .' 1 have.. Ai-.. D. Robertson, Secretary. 11. Stephenson Smith. Esq., Resident Agent for .\<« Zealand, 244 California Street. San Francisco. Cal. [Wn.-S.F. 11/13.J

No. 61, The Resident Agent for N'kw Zealand, San Franoisco, to the Sbobktabt, General lost Office. Wellington. Sir, — Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, lOth- January, 1911. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of cables from you reading as follows See Nos. 44 and 56], which have received attention. I could not reply to your cable >>f the 11th until advised l»\ the NY« York office, which was not until the departure of the " Philadelphia" on Friday, the Kith. I then replied, "Missed Canard; left to-day ' Philadelphia.'" To your second cable I replied cm the 19th, " Rail obstruction, Chicago to New Fork." A report 'it' this occurrence lias not yet reached me, although I have written officially upon the subject : but as the mails left Chicago on time on the 13th there must have been a serious delay on the Lake Shore Railroad. In reply to your cable of the sth January 1 replied as under [see No. 57J. In regard to the above cable, I \er\ much regret that the error in my report giving the date when the " Aorangi 'a " mail was due at Not York should have misled you. My letter of the 12th December is correct, but changes have been made in the running of the through trains in the last year, and even the railroad mail-service officials are somewhat at sea, but I certainly cannot be excused for this oversight. The running of these trains is as follows: The Overland Limited leaves this city at 10.40 a.m.. is due at Chicago at I p.m. the third day. and reaches New York on the fourth morning at 9.30 a.m. The Eastern Express leaves at 6.40 p.m.. and is due at New York on the morning of the fifth daj at 7.55 a.m. hi the oases where we can catch thd Overland Limited we can only send the letter portion of our mails on the Twentieth Century Limited (the train that arrives at New York at r>.3o a.m.), as newspapers or books upon this fast express are refused : but the othei portion of the mail can go forward by the train leaving Chicago three hours later, and will arrive at New York about eight hours Inter, which may sometimes result in the newspapers and hooks being left behind at New York ****** The mails by ■Aorangi ' : this time left Chicago on time, and unless anything unforeseen occurs, should connect to-morrow with the <; St. Paul " (not a fast boat), that being the only steamer running this week with a reasonable turn of speed. The Cunard steamers are not running this week, the winter travel being very light. This time we have about twenty-four hours to spare, so the connection should be assured. Without the tug service we should never