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No. 129. The Assistant Secrhtahy, General Post Omce, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 26th March, 1914. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 6th ultimo, in regard to the transfer of mails from the s.s. " Maunganui," at Watson's Bay, on the 2nd December last. The Union Steam Ship Company has made further inquiries. It finds that the mails were properly sorted from the "Maunganui" in the first instance. Owing to the steamer being delayed for medical inspection, and being unable to proceed direct to the wharf, the mails had to be landed by launch. As the Government launch " Premier " did not take the whole of the bags, the only means of landing the remainder was by the company's launch " Potoki," and apparently the labourers mixed the bags. The Union Company reminds the Department that at the time referred to the labour troubles were at their height, and operations were being carried on under many disadvantages. I have, &c, Gbo. B. Dall, The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. Assistant Secretary.

No. 130. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 3rd April, 1914. I have the honour to enclose copy of a letter dated the 23rd ultimo [see No. 128] from the Commonwealth Post Office, bringing under notice that inconvenience lias on several occasions lately been experienced owing to the late arrival at Sydney on Tuesdays of the mailsteamers from Wellington, and that the work of landing the mails has to be done by members of the Post Office staff. Under clause 4 of the contract }'our company is required to land the mails, and to do so not later than 6.50 p.m. I have therefore to request that you will be good enough to arrange for the mails to be landed by your company without assistance from the Commonwealth Post Office. I am aware that your company has always made every endeavour to provide for the arrival of the steamer at Sydney on Tuesday in ample time to enable the mail-connection to be made, and I have no doubt that you will continue to do so. I have, &c, W T . R. Morris, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin.

No. 131. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department. Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, Bth April, 1914. 1 have the honour to inform you that the following is a copy of a communication received from Dalgety and Co. (Limited), Sydney: — " S.s. ' Zealandic' —We have the honour to advise you that up to the present we have been unable to obtain payment for a large quantity of mail-matter carried by this steamer to New Zealand last November. We have made applications for this mail-money both here and in New Zealand, but are sorry to say that we have received no satisfaction. You may perhaps remember that at considerable inconvenience to the steamer she was delayed some time to enable you to put the mail aboard, which was a particularly large one, owing to the disorganized state of affairs due to the strike in New Zealand. We shall be much obliged if you will look into this matter and advise us to whom we must look for payment. We have, of course, received payment for a portion, but not the balance, which we believe was foreign mail." 2. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, reports that the mails in question were forwarded by the s.s. " Zealandic " on the 25th November last, owing to the New Zealand shipping strike, which rendered the departure of the Union Company's vessels uncertain at that time. 3. Payment was made to Dalgety and Co. (Limited) for all the mails from Commonwealth offices, but as your Administration is reimbursed for the sea service between the Commonwealth and New Zealand in respect of mails from other countries forwarded on by this Administration, no action was taken to effect payment for the mails for New Zealand from London, Europe, and India forwarded by the s.s. " Zealandic." 4. In view of the circumstances of the case, I shall be glad if you will be good enough tc give the matter of settlement with Dalgety and Co. (Limited) early consideration. I have, &c, . Charles E. Bright, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. For Secretary.