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No. 119. The Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 15th January, 1914. In reference to your letter of the 15th ultimo, reporting that the foreign and southern mails despatched from Wellington by the s.s. " Maunganui " on the trip ended at Sydney on the 2nd idem were not ready for transfer at Watson's Bay, as was instructed in a radio message to the master, I have the honour to inform you that the Union Steam Ship Company states that the radio message was received on board and the foreign and southern mails were sorted and ready before the ship came to an anchorage. The Post Office tender came alongside, and, after taking delivery of a few slings of mail-bags, left. A second tender, which was in waiting, took off the rest: of the mails, but apparently it did not reach the landing-place in time for the mails to connect with the express train which left Sydney at 8 p.m. It does not appear that the officers of the " Maunganui " were to blame. I shall, however, be glad if you will make further inquiries, and acquaint me with the result. I have, &c, F. V. Waters, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. Assistant Secretary.

No. 120. The Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 30th January, 1914. I have the honour to refer to the telegram [not printed] from your office of the 28th instant, reporting the despatch of mails for Auckland by the s.s. " Victoria " on that date, and the engagement of a special train for the conveyance from Sydney of portion of the mail despatched from Wellington by the s.s. " Manuka " on the 23rd instant, and to confirm your action in engaging the train. I have, &c, Geo. B. Dall, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. Assistant Secretary.

No. 121. The Assistant Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd February, 1914. I have the honour to refer to the despatch of the s.s. " Manuka " from Wellington on the 23rd ultimo at 8.50 p.m., three hours fifty minutes late, and its arrival at Sydney on the 27th at 6 p.m., too late to enable the whole of the mails to connect with the mail-train from Sydney, and shall be glad of any reason you have to offer why the penalty due under the contract for late arrival should not be imposed. I have, &c, F. V. Waters, Assistant Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 122. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Postmaster-General's Department, General Post Office, Sir,— Sydney, 6th February, 1914. With reference to your communication of the loth ultimo, in reply to mine of the 15th December, relative to the handling of foreign and southern mails despatched from Wellington by the s.s. " Maunganui," received here on the 2nd idem, I have the honour to inform you that from, the first three or four slings of mails lowered on board the Union Steam Ship Company's tender " Potoki," sixty-six bags were placed on the Government launch " Premier," which then left the " Maunganui " for the wharf. These bags were checked on the way, and it was found that sixty-four bags were for the Melbourne express train, one for Brisbane, and one for Sydney. The remainder of the mail-bags, including Sydney bags, were placed on the " Potoki " and convej'ed to the Manly cargo wharf, those bags for Sydney being mixed with the forward bags. It was therefore necessary to handle all the bags before they could be placed on the carts for conveyance to the railway-station, the Sydney bags being placed on one side until all the forward bags had been despatched. A few hampers were taken to the Union Steam Ship Company's wharf by the s.s. " Maunganui " and obtained later. As pointed out in my communication of the loth ultimo, the radio message was received by the " Maunganui " at 12.41 p.m. on the 2nd idem, and the steamer arrived at Watson's Bay at 5.25 p.m. I have, &c, E. J. Young, The Secretary, Genera] Post Office, Wellington. Deputy Postmaster-General,

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