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No. 130. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Acting British Trade Commissioner for New Zealand, Wellington. Sir, — Genei-al Post Office, Wellington, 24th February, 1911. In reply to your request [not printed] for particulars of the proposed Vancouver mailservice, I have the honour to inform you that a contract will be arranged between the New Zealand Government and the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) on the following conditions : — 1. The contract to be for five years. 2. Subsidy to be contributed by the New Zealand Government, £20,000 per annum, with exemption from harbour and dock dues. 3. Permission to be given to the contractors to proceed from Auckland to Sydney or Melbourne, retaining any sum contributed by the Commonwealth. 4. First voyage outwards from Auckland, Ist September; from Vancouver, 6th October. Dates of departure from Auckland to be amended as soon as practicable, to enable a fortnightly alternation to be made with the San Francsico service. 5. The voyage between Vancouver and Auckland, via. Honolulu and Suva, to be made in nineteen days. The same time to be kept in the reverse direction. 6. New Zealand shippers to have the first refusal of all space for freight so long as no subsidy is being paid by the Commonwealth Government. No discrimination in rates of freight, passenger-accommodation, or passenger-rates is to be made against New Zealand, whether a subsidy is paid by the Commonwealth or not. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. 0. S. Watkins, Esq., Acting British Trade Commissioner for New Zealand, Wellington. [Letters in similar terms to the American Consul-General, Auckland (10th April, 1911), and the Consul for France, Auckland (19th April, 1911).] [Vane. Misc. 11/13 a.]

No. 131. The Managing Director, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 4th March, 1911. Being pressed to make engagements August, September, necessary ii\ sailing-days. Are you satisfied to continue present days—from Sydney Monday, and Auckland Friday or Saturday? [Vane. Misc. 11/25.]

No. 132. The Acting Prime Minister, Wellington, to the Colonial Secretary, Suva. g IHj Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, Bth March, 1911. I have the honour to refer to the contract made between the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) and the Government of Canada for the performance by the former of a four-weekly mail-service between Vancouver and Auckland, via Honolulu and Suva, and vice versa, for a period of five years, subject to contributions from New Zealand and Fiji, and to inform you that the New Zealand Government has decided to join in the service, contributing £20,000 per annum. The contract will contain provisions as follows: — Contractors to be given permission to proceed from Auckland to Sydney or Melbourne, in which case poundage rates will be paid for the carriage of mails from the New Zealand port to Australia. If the Commonwealth becomes a contributor to the subsidy the contractors will relain such contribution. First voyage outwards from Auckland to commence on the Ist September, and inwards from Vancouver on the 6th October next. Dates of departure from Auckland to be amended as soon as practicable, to enable a fortnightly alternation to be made with the service to San Francisco. Voyage between Vancouver and Auckland and vice versa to be made in nineteen days. I have, &c, J. Carroll, The Colonial Secretary, Suva, Fiji. Acting Prime Minister. [Vane. Misc. 11/38.] ___^—.

No. 133. The Acting Prime Minister to the High Commissioner : Vα New Zealand. Slß> Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, Bth March, 1911. I have the honour to inform you that a contract is to be made between the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited) and the Canadian Government for the performance by the former of a four-weekly mail-ssrvice between Vancouver and Auckland, via Honolulu and Suva, and vice versa, for a period of five years. The subsidy to be paid by New Zealand will be £20,000 per annum. The contractors will be given permission to proceed from Auckland to