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10. Acknowledgment of Eeceipt. (a) Procedure, if not paid for— We recommend that persons making inquiry as regards the delivery of registered letters should be called on to pay the fee of 2id., provided for the acknowledgment of receipt, such fee to be refunded in the case of any delay in delivery being attributable to the Post Office. (b) The General Post Office of each Colony to act as intermediary for transmission of acknowledgment of receipts— We recommend that the General Post Office of each Colony, or the office of exchange, be the - intermediary for the acknowledgment of receipts. (c) Acknowledgment of receipt. Proposal by France —"That details be given by the office of origin, &c."— We recommend that the old system, in force prior to the Vienna Convention, under which the form of acknowledgment of receipt was filled up by the office of despatch, should be reverted to. 11. Intercolonial Convention (Draft). We recommend that the further revision of the draft Intercolonial Convention be postponed until the postal laws of all the colonies permit of its being adopted; but we would point out that this Convention—which was, in the first instance, agreed to several years since—has remained in abeyance owing to want of legislation on the part of some of the colonies ; and we would urge that no further avoidable delay should take place in procuring the necessary amendment of the law where required, so as to bring into force a measure which will be productive of great public convenience. 12. Parcel Post. (a) Transit Eates (sea) — It was agreed at the Hobart Conference of 1892 that communication be opened with the steamship companies for a reduction to Id. per lb. or less. •The'present Conference has already proposed to include the conveyance of parcels by ocean contract steamers without any extra payment. We consider that the transit rate of 2d. per lb. now paid between Sydney or Melbourne to New Zealand or Tasmania is too high, and we recommend that the Victorian Postal Department be requested to endeavour to obtain lower rates. We notice that in the Queensland Act, section 6], provision is made for a payment of Is. for every 28 lb. weight of parcels. (b) Transit Eates (land) — We recommend the adoption of the following proposal by New Zealand: —" That Victoria, New South Wales, and Queensland should receive parcels from New Zealand for Eastern Countries, and forward them with their own parcel mails, New Zealand to reciprocate in connection with parcel mails from the other colonies for the South Sea Islands. The rates to be reduced as far as practicable." (c) Extension to New South Wales and United States of America — It is reported that New South Wales has provided in a Postal Bill for the extension of the parcel post intercolonially and inland, and it is hoped that the measure will soon become law. We recommend that negotiations be opened with the United States of America with the view to the introduction of the parcel post between the United States and the Australian colonies. (d) Collection of Customs duties at every parcel post office— It is recommended that the practice which obtains of collecting duty on parcels at the port or place of arrival should be continued. (c) With United Kingdom— New Zealand suggests that London be requested to modify the agreement between the United Kingdom and the other colonies, so as to secure a uniform standard, preferably that of Queensland, which provides the same British inland rate on foreign as on English parcels. We recommend that the present system be continued. (fi) Without names of senders (unclaimed) —- We recommend that the rules now in force be continued. This matter is fully provided for in the Intercolonial Draft Convention, sections 15 and 20 of Article 21. (g) Insurance (rates, &c.) — We propose that the recommendation of the Hobart Conference of 1892 —namely, that the system of insurance and compensation be not adopted —be adhered to. (h) Postal Union system (intercolonially)— New Zealand suggests the application of Parcel Post Union principles intercolonially. We recommend that this be disagreed to. 13. Express Postal Delivery. We consider that the objections raised at Hobart to the system still exist 14. Letter