POSTAL AND TELEGRAPHIC AGREEMENT

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1386, 25 July 1878, Page 3

POSTAL AND TELEGRAPHIC AGREEMENT

The following is the minute agreed to by the Postmasters-General of New South Wales and New Zealand, which (the " New Zealander" states) has been approved .by the New Zealand Government: — minute. We are of opinion—1. That the duplication of the cable as proposed by the Cable Conference should, under all the circumstances, be agreed to by New Zealand, in conjunction with Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and such other of the colonies as may become parties to the contract with the Eastern Extension Company. 2. That the reduction in the charges for the transmission of messages between Port Darwin and London by 75 per cent, for Press messages, and 50 per cent, for Governmental messages, without, additional subsidy, is very liberal, and may, in the discretion of Messrs Berry and Burns, be modified to the extent proposed by the company if it cannot obtain the like concession for its use of the Dutch and Indian lines.

3. That it is unnecessary to keep a steamer constantly at a port in New Zealand or Australia specially for the New Zealand cable, and that the company should be relieved from this obligation without prejudice to the other conditions of the articles of agreement, which we think are sufficiently stringent to ensure the maintenance of communication by cable between New South Wales and New Zealand.

4. That the company should reduce their charges for the transmission of messages by the New Zealand cable to the rates which we have proposed to Colonel Glover in a separate paper. 5. That the repairing ship of the company should be at all times available on reasonable notice for the repair of the Cook Straits cables. All the expenses of the ship, less her charges for a corresponding period, if she were laid up in port, to be defrayed by the Government of New Zealand, which Government should also indemnify the company, or provide by insurance, for any damage to the steamer, her machinery, or gear, in connection with the repair of the said cables. 6. That the Agents-General of New South Wales and New Zealand should be instructed by telegram to request the contractors for the Pacific Mail Service to propose a fresh surety in the room of Mr Macgregor. for the due performance of the service. 7. That the Agent General should aho be requested to unite with the Agent-General of the other colonies in moving the Secretary of State for the Colonies to cause the aid afforded by the Imperial Government, since 1873, to the Pacific, Suez, and Torres Straits Mail Services to be continued for a further period. 8. That the colonies of New South Wales and New Zealand should, in view of the desirability of establishing uniform postal regulation's of universal application, calculated to giro the public the largest amount of accommodation possible, without useless and vexatious restrictions, join the Berne Postal Union. Provided, however, that, no reduction is made in the rate of postage for the ocean services, that the cost of the transit of the mails between San Francisco and New York, or Boston, be not charged to the colonies, and that the restrictions which have already, or which may hereafter, be imposed by local legislation, in reference to wholly unpaid correspondence, are not interfered with. J. F. Bfens. J. T. Fishek. Wellington, Bth July, 1878. _______