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No. 25. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Companv of New Zealand (Limited), Sir,— Dunedin, 3rd July, 1911. I have the honour to submit, for the approval of the Postmaster-General, the time-table [not printed] we propose for the San Francisco service running direct from Wellington to Rarotonga, thence to Papeete and San Francisco, returning via the same ports to Wellington. We shall be pleased to receive formal approval on the earliest convenient date so that the time-table may be published. The hours of arrival and departure indicated on enclosure are approximate only, and it is not intended to publish them. I have, &c, R. McK. McLennan, for General Manager. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [Wn.-S.F. 11/188.]

No. 26. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Dunedin, 3rd July, 1911. Re your letter 26th June, " Maitai " arrived Rarotonga eleven Wednesday forenoon. Should have sailed early Thursday afternoon. Detained for fruit till six, Friday morning. Principal difficulty is shortage labour. We are instructing that mail-steamers must not be detained beyond about six, Thursday evening, and are calling on shippers to assist manager in procuring labour. [Wn.-S.F. H/182'.] [Acknowledged, 6th July.]

No. 27. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 13th July, 1911. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant, submitting the time-table proposed for the New Zealand - San Francisco mail-service for a year from the 25th August next. The time-table is approved. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Wn.-S.F. 11/194.]

No. 28. The Director of Posts, Papeete, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir,— Papeete, 13th July, 1911. In order to enable your Administration to calculate the transit rates to be paid to the Union Steam Ship Company for the conveyance of mails between New Zealand, Tahiti, and San Francisco, I have the honour to forward you herewith, in accordance with your letter of the 25th May last, a statement of the weight of the postal matter forwarded from Papeete by the last mails both to San Francisco and to New Zealand : — Per " Maitai " for San Francisco, 9th July, 1911 — Letters, post-cards ... ... ... ... ... 43'500 kilos. Newspapers, samples, &c. ... ... ... ... 28"350 ~ Per " Aorangi " for Wellington, 10th July, 1911— Letters, post-cards ... ... ... ... ... 4'460 kilos. Printed matter, samples ... ... ... ... 7"300 ~ I trust that this information will be sufficient to give you an idea of the approximate quantity of correspondence forwarded annually from. Papeete by the steamers of the Union Steam Ship Company both to San Francisco and to New Zealand. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. J. Cadousteau. [Wn.-S.F. 11/265.]

No. 29. The Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — Post Office Department, Washington, 18th July, 1911. Referring to this Department's reply under date of the 3rd instant [not printed], and to your letter of the 25th May, 1911, respecting the compensation due for the sea-conveyance of United States and foreign closed mails despatched by steamers of the Union Steam Ship Company sailing from San Francisco for New Zealand, I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-