F.—B

20

No. 15.

The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, 12th June, 1913. With reference to your letter of the Bth ultimo [not printed], in which you asked whether this Department would take any action in the matter of giving effect to the representations made to the Empire Trade Commission by Mr. Paxton, ex-President of the Sydney Chamber of Commerce, in favour of an extension of the principle of cheap week-end cables, 1 have the honour to inform you that this Administration has already urged the reduction of the minimum charge for week-end cable letter from 18s. per twenty-four words to 9s. per twelve words. 2. As the Pacific Cable Board and the Eastern Extension Telegraph Company have each two cable termini in Australia —viz., Sydney and Southport, and Adelaide and Perth respectively — Melbourne and Hobart thereby being at a disadvantage, and as, owing to the large area of the Commonwealth, a long time would necessarily be taken in course of post, even to many very important centres, it was also urged that the minimum charge of 9s. per twelve words should cover transmission by wire in x\vistralia, except within cable-terminal cities, provided the Commonwealth was allowed as a terminal rate the same proportion of the 9d. per word as it now receives of the ordinary charge of 3s. per word. 3. These proposals were not, however, acceptable. I have, &c, Justinian Oxenham, Secretary. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand.

* No. 16. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Superintendent, Pacific Cable Board, Auckland. Sib, — General Post Office, Wellington, 13th June, 1913. The question has been raised whether non-delivered week-end cable messages should be dealt with as unclaimed letters or undelivered telegrams. The question appears to be answered by International Regulation XL VII (10), as under: "Telegrams addressed ' poste restante 'or delivered by post are subject, as to delivery and periods of preservation, to the same rules as postal correspondence." Once posted, a telegram passes from the control of a telegraph administration. But I shall be glad to hear whether you think it necessary or advisable to recommend any variation of this rule in respect of week-end messages which were not in vogue when this rule was made. Any. variation implying control by a telegraph administration of a posted message (a letter) would mean, I have no doubt, an alteration of postal laws in the several places affected by it—a matter which would have to be given very serious consideration. 1 have, &c, The Superintendent, Pacific Cable Board, Auckland. W. R. Morris, Secretary.

No. 17. The Hon. the Prime Minister to the High Commissioner. Sir, — Prime Minister's Office, Wellington, 3rd July, 1913. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 22nd May last, covering a report of a meeting at the General Post Office on the Bth idem, called to consider a means of simplifying the cable-letter services so as to make them easier to work and more attractive to the public. I have, &c, R. Heaton Rhodes, For the Prime Minister. The Hon. Thos. Mackenzie, F.R.G.S., High Commissioner for New Zealand.

No. 18. The Superintendent, Eastern Extension Company, Wakapuaka, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Wakapuaka. 14th July, 1913. Please add following to list terminal cable offices in Great Britain for week-end messages via Eastern : Birmingham, Cardiff, Porthcurnow. Hull to be opened next October. ' [P. C. "Rates 13/129.]