POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH ARRANGEMENT.

Kumara Times, Issue 560, 13 July 1878, Page 2

POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH ARRANGEMENT.

[press agency.] Wellington, July 11. Messrs Burns and Fisher were here to-day, and agreed to and signed aminnte respecting postal and telegraph matters. The New Zealand Government will join Victoria, New South Wales, atid South Australia in the duplication of the cable to Singapore, and in an arrangement for the redaction of the charges of the Eastern Extension Co. for the transmission of messages between Port Darwin

and London by seventy five per cent on Press messages and fifty on Government. Such arrangement is held by the Government to be liberal, and the above reduction may, in the discretion of Messrs Berry and Burns, be modified to the extent proposed by the company if it cannot obtain a similar re-

duction for its use of the Dutch and Indian lines. The keeping of a steamer constantly in a port of Australia or New Zealand for the New Zealand, cable, is held to be an unnecessary expense, from which the company should be relieved, while at the same time it is to be held liable for keeping up cable communication between the two colonies. The company has agreed to reduce its charges for transmission of all messages by the New Zealand cable, but what the reduction is has not been made public, "and is embodied in a separate agreement between Messrs Burns, Fisher, and Colonel Glover. The repairing ship of the company is to be at all times available for the repair of Cook Strait cable. The New Zealand Government defrays the expense thereof and indemnifying the company for any damage to the steamer or machinery. The Postal Agents-Geueral of New South Wales and New Zealand', are to move the Secretary of State for the

Colonies to cause aid to be given by the Imperial Government under the present treaty towards the Pacific, Suez, and Torr*es Strait mail services, to be continued for a farther period, the pi'dsent treaty between England and the colonies respecting mail service expiring this year. The Agent-Gene-rals are also to request contractors per Pacific toail service to propose another surety In room of Mr M‘Gregor, of New South Wales. New South Wales and New Zealand, are to join the “Berne Postal tfnion,” with the object of establishing uniform postal regulations of universal application, provided that no reduction is made in the rate of postage fot 1 ocean service, and that the cost of transit of mails between San Francisco and New York, or Boston, is not charged, to the colonies, and that the laws of 1 the colonies respecting wholly unpaid correspondence are not interfered with. July 12. The cable agreement, referring to the reduction of charges on the New Zealand cable, Was executed this morning, by the Hon. Messrs Burns, Fisher, and Colonel GldVer. The Hon. Mr Burns, intends returning direct to Sydney, per Rotorua, after a short visit to Canter* bury and Otago.