19

F.—4

Pacific Bailway Company, it would require a great change in the opinions which have constantly prevailed there for any scheme of a Pacific mail-service to be adopted in which New Zealand does not bear a principal share of the subsidy ; so that you are pretty sure, in the long run, to get your way in steadily refusing to listen to a branch line. I understand that Sir Charles Tupper will be over here from Canada early in June, when I shall take the opportunity of conferring with him, and let you know the result. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. F. D. Bell.

No. 38. Mr. Buckland to the Hon. the Postmasteb-Genebal, Wellington. (Telegram.) San Francisco, 9th November, 1887. Mails for New York leave here seven o'clock Sunday morning, arriving there Friday evening. Mails arrive here seven o'clock in evening. Five days from New York. Begin Sunday. What changes shall I make ? The Postmaster-General, New Zealand. Buckland.

No. 39. The Hon. Sir H. A. Atkinson to the Acting Besident Agent,' San Francisco. (Telegram.) Wellington, 17th November, 1887. Despatch steamer early Thursday, commencing December. C. E. Buckland, Esq., San Francisco.

No. 40. Mr. Buckland to the Secretaby, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — San Francisco, 14th November, 1887. T have the honour to enclose copy of a cable-message that I sent you on the 9th instant, relative to the shortening of the overland trains, and to which I am now awaiting your reply, so as to make arrangements for the departures of the steamers from here in future. As my cable-message stated, the mails will now be able to leave San Francisco at 7.30 a.m. on Sundays, arriving in New York at 9.35 p.m. on the following Friday, in plenty of time to catch the fast steamers leaving New York on the next (Saturday) morning. This will enable you to change the date of sailing from Auckland to 8 a.m. or 10 a.m. on every fourth Tuesday, instead of on the Monday afternoon, as at present. The steamers will then arrive here during Saturday evening. This will give you the same connections as at present, with a saving of fourteen or sixteen hours in New Zealand, the steamers being able to leave there so much later. There is also a train leaving here at 3 p.m. daily for New York, which arrives in New York at 7 p.m. on the sixth day out, the same as at present, and is of no advantage in carrying the mails. For instance, the train that leaves here at 3 p.m. on Saturday arrives at New York at 7 p.m. on the following Friday, only two hours and thirty-five minutes before the train that leaves here on the next (Sunday) morning at 7.30 a.m. Coming from New York to San Francisco the overland trains occupy five days one hour and ten minutes. The mails leaving New York in future at 6 p.m. on Friday will arrive in San Francisco at 7 p.m. on the following Wednesday, so that the steamer will always be able to leave here during the summer months some time on the Wednesday night. If they fail to arrive at that time they will reach San Francisco by 6.40 a.m. on the following (Thursday) morning. There are two trains arriving here daily, the one at 6.40 a.m., and the other at 7.10 p.m. The mails will generally arrive by the latter, but should they miss this then they will be here at 6.40 on the next morning. The advantage of this change may be seen this month, when the mails did not leave New York till Sunday evening, 13th instant, two days later than usual. They are expected here at 7 p.m. on Friday, the day of sailing, and. there is a chance of their arriving on Friday morning. I think it would be advisable that the steamers should be advertised to sail from San Francisco every fourth Wednesday at 10 p.m. It is certainly a very awkward hour for departure, but that time will insure the quickest connections for at least six months in the year, and during the winter months the usual postponements will have to be made. I have conferred with Mr. Spreckels about this change, and he, while recognising the awkwardness and difficulty attending the sailing hour proposed, is fully prepared to meet the requirements of the service, and has agreed that the steamers shall, in future, be advertised to leave here at 10 p.m. on Wednesday. I enclose a clipping from the Examiner, giving Mr. A. B. Spreckels's views. I also enclose copy of my cable-message, sent on the 9th instant. The only trouble that I can see in this connection is in the refusal of the Postmaster at San Francisco to place one of his clerks at the disposal of the service during the night, unless specially paid by your department the amount of $10 for each night that his services may be required. If the steamers leave Auckland in future on Tuesday morning they will arrive here during Saturday night. It is necessary that a Post Office official board the steamer and give a receipt to the Customhouse Department before the mails can be landed. The Collector of Customs has placed one of his men at my disposal for night service, without requiring special pay, and the only obstacle