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service ; but, until additional legislation shall enlarge those powers, he will be without authority to increase the payments to the steamship company, or to reduce the charges for the transit between New York and San Francisco. I am, &c. N M. BROOKS, Superintendent of Foreign Mails. The Hon. J. G. Ward, Postmaster-General, Wellington, N.Z.

Postage on Circulars from the United Kingdom. 18th April, 1894. Sir, I have the honour to inform you that at the Australasian Postal and Telegraph Conference, which commenced its sittings at Wellington last month, the question was brought forward "whether the Colonies might not fairly object to deliver English packets prepaid \d. while id. is levied in the Colonies," and it was directed that " a request be addressed from this Conference to the authorities of the London Post Office to assist the Colonies in this respect." In bringing the matter under your notice I have to point out that the Australian Colonies have to deliver large quantities of British trade circulars on which only postage is paid, while the minimum rate levied by the Colonies on similar matter is id. Owing to the comparatively small quantity of such matter for England from Australia the system of unequal rates works unfairly, and it is found that the Colonies lose both in trade and postage through large numbers of circulars from Australian firms being printed as well as posted in England. I shall therefore be glad to learn whether your office will consider the desirableness of raising the postage rate for circulars for the Colonies from \d. to id. for every two ounces, so as to make it uniform with the rate charged on such matter from the Australian Colonies. I should add that the recommendation of the Conference was not endorsed by me on behalf of this Colony, the minimum rate for circulars from New Zealand being the same as that charged in the United Kingdom. I have, &c. J G WARD, President. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, London.

General Post Office, London, Ist June, 1894. Sib, I am directed by the Postmaster-General to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 18th April last, in which, on behalf of the Australasian Postal and Telegraph Conference, you enquire whether this Department will consider the question of raising the postage chargeable upon circulars from the Colonies from \d. to Id. for every 2 ounces,'so as to make it uniform with the rate charged in Australia. Mr Arnold Morley learns with regret that inconvenience is caused to the Australian Post Offices by the difference existing between the British and Colonial rates of postage for printed matter, but he desires me to point out that the rate chargable here is but the simple Postal Union rate —that it has been uniformly adopted for all classes of printed matter, including newspapers— and that it applies not only to the Australasian Colonies but to all other parts of the Empire, and indeed to all destinations outside the United Kingdom. For these reasons, while far from ignoring or underrating the temporary inconvenience sustained by the Colonial Post Offices so long as they are not in a position to follow this Department in adopting the Union rate in its simplicity, the Postmaster General finds himself unable to take a step the result of which would be to deprive the public here of the great benefit of uniform postage to which they have now become accustomed. I have, &c. H. BUXTON FORMAN

New Zealand, General Post Office, Wellington, sth September, 1894. Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Ist June, No. 182 U, addressed to myself as the President of the late Postal and Telegraph Conference, in reply to the letter of the 18th April last. I note that your Department does not see its way to raise the rate of postage chargeable on circulars for the Colonies from Id. to id. for every 2 ounces, and I have forwarded a copy of your reply to the Australian Post Offices. I have, &c. J. G. WARD, Postmaster-General. The Secretary, General Post Office, London.