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from New Zealand to any foreign country despatched through the intermediary of the United States from the Ist October to the 31st December last, inclusive, to enable the transit accounts to be prepared, to inform you that the required statement will be furnished by next mail. I desire, however, to point out that this colony's liability for Atlantic transit dates with the mail despatched from Auckland on the sth ultimo, and not from the Ist October. The London office has been advised, and requested to have matters adjusted with your office. As the quantity of mail-matter carried by the San Francisco service is likely to fluctuate very materially for some time to come, this office deems it desirable that payments for the territorial carriage through the United States, and for Atlantic conveyance, should be made on the actual weights of correspondence, and the concurrence of your office to this course is asked. If this be approved, the Mail Agents will be instructed to make out and forward to your office statements of the weights of all transit mails, including those for the United Kingdom, and to furnish duplicates to this office. 1 have > &c -> W. Gray, For the Postmaster-General. The Superintendent, Office of Foreign Mails, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C.

No. 61. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington. Post Office and Telegraph Department, General Post Office, Wellington, Sib,— 25th February, 1892. Adverting to your letters of the 20th November and of the 4th December, 1891, and my reply thereto of the 28th ultimo, I have the honour to forward you herewith a statement showing the weights of all mails despatched from this colony to countries in transit through the United States during the quarter ended the 31st December last. I would also beg leave to remark that the system of actual weights as against average weights, suggested for adoption in my letter of the 28th ultimo, was intended to apply to United Kingdom mails only, as the correspondence for other countries via the United States is subject to comparatively little fluctuation. I accept with pleasure your proposal to ascertain the transit costs of such correspondence by the Union system of triennial countings. Instructions have now been issued to the Mail Agents of this colony on the AucklandSan Francisco line of steamers to attach in future to the letter-bill for San Francisco a statement showing the net weight, in grammes, of all mails despatched by them to offices in the United Kingdom; and arrear-statements for the mails despatched on the 2nd and 30th ultimo and 27th instant will be posted to your office by the next mail. I have, &c, The Superintendent, W. Gkay, Secretary. Office of Foreign Mails, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C.

Statement showing the Net Weight of Correspondence despatched by the New Zealand Marine Post Office to Countries beyond the United States from the Ist October, 1891, to the 31st December, 1891. Date of Letters and Post- Books and Country of Destination. Despatch. cards. Newspapers. 1891. Grammes. Grammes. ™-«N*- ; ;- ;;; S. 1 ? $25 S^ ... Dec. 5 394,101 3,060,969 Totals 961,003 9,284,103 Other offices^ Vancouver Island Oct. 10 879 10,035 ... Nov. 7 935 11,339 ... Dec. 5 851 12,699 Windsor," Canada '.".'. Oct. 10 4,195 50,797 ... Nov. 7 2,041 42,633 ... Dec. 5 4,989 66,671 West Indies '.'.'. '. Oct. 10 1,389 7,257 ... Nov. 7 567 7,484 "; Dec. 5 964 5,216 Western States of South America Oct. 10 907 3,572 . . Nov. 7 397 2,495 * Dec. 5 397 1,814 Totals 18,511 222,012

* Transit-costs from New York to QueenstoWn for mails despatched on the 10th October and 7th November should be claimed from London, this colony's liability for the transit in question commencing with the mails of the sth December, 1891. _ t _ „. A General Post Office, Wellington, 25th February, 1892. W. Gray, Secretary.