F.-7

No. 11. [News Extract, Ist January, m 2. ifrom L'Vnion Poilale.] : The Postal Service op Southern Rhodesia in the Year 1909. As the telegraph and telephone services also showed satisfactory progress, the Postmaster-General of Southern Rhodesia believes that the moment has arrived for introducing penny postage to all parts of the British Empire. The estimated loss through this reduction of postage would be £3,000 a year. [P.O. 12/316(3).] .________»___________

No. 12. His Excellency the Governor to the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Sir, — Government House, Wellington, 10th February, 1912. I have received the following telegram, dated 9th February, from the Right Hon. trw Secretary of State for the Colonies : — " With reference to my telegram of 2nd January, Government of France state that penny postage agreement cannot be put in force until local arrangement's made and Governor of French Oceania has been asked to telegraph in due course.—Harcourt." The Right Hon. the Prime Minister. Islington, Governor. [P.O. 12/316(1).] __»_______________

No. 13. The Right Hon. the Prime Minister to His Excellency the Governor. (Memorandum.) Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 12th February, 1912. Penny Postage with French Oceania. In reference to the telegram of the 9th instant from the Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies saying that penny postage with French Oceania cannot be put in force until local arrangements are made, the Prime Minister begs to submit the opinion that suspending the operation of the penny post should be on the side of French Oceania only, and not on the side of New Zealand. It was announced to the public of New Zealand on the Bth ultimo that postage to Tahiti and other places in French Oceania had been reduced to Id. per ounce from the 6th idem, and it will be confusing and altogether undesirable to revoke this announcement. If the telegram is not intended to bear the assumed construction, the Prime Minister will be obliged if His Excellency will telegraph the Secretary of State asking that it be arranged that the meaning of the telegram be limited in the sense proposed. His Excellency the Governor. J. G. Ward, Prime Minister.

No. 14. The Right Hon. the Secretary of State for the Colonies to His Excellency the Governor, Mt Lord, — Downing Street, 13th February, 1912. I have the honour to transmit to you, for the information of your Ministers, the papers noted below on the subject of the penny-postage agreement between New Zealand and French Oceania. I have, &c, The Officer Administering the Government of New Zealand. L. Harcourt

Enclosure in No. 14. His Excellency the British Ambassador, Paris, to the Right Hon. the Secretary of State, Foreign Office. Sir, — Paris, 6th February, 1912. With reference to my despatch of 27th November last [not printed], I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a note from the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, acquainting me that the penny-postage agreement between New Zealand and French Oceania cannot be put in force before the 14th instant, and that the Governor of French Oceania has been instructed to telegraph the date on which he will be in a position to apply the new postal agreement. I have, &c, The Right Hon. Sir Edward Grey, Bart., M.P., &o. Francis Bertie.

Sub-enclosure in No. 14. [Translation. ] His Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Paris, to His Excellency the British Ambassador, Paris. g IB) Paris, sth February, 1912. The British Royal Embassy has expressed a wish to know the date of the coming into operation of the French-English Convention reducing to Id. the rate on letters between New Zealand and Tahiti. The text of the decree of the 30th December, 1911, inserted in the Journal Officiel of the 31st December, approving the Convention, cannot reach the colony at the earliest before the 14th February next, and T have the honour to inform yon that the publication of the agreement at Papeete cannot take place until that date.

5