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No. 34. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — San Francisco, 3rd February, 1897. I have the honour to report that the R.M.S. "Monowai," conveying the homeward colonial mails, arrived at this port on the 14th January, at 11.30 p.m., too late to connect with the overland express of that date, and we would therefore have been unable to make the connection with the Atlantic steamer appointed to leave New York at 10 a.m. on the 20th January. I therefore placed myself in telegraphic communication with the International Navigation Company of New York, as well as the various route agents of the railway mail-service of the United States between this port and that of New York, and finally succeeded in securing the detention of the s.s. " New York " until connection could be made with the express leaving San Francisco on Friday evening, thus enabling the mails to proceed without the three days' delay at New York that would otherwise have been sustained. The International Navigation Company are entitled to the commendation of the department for their courteous action in holding the s.s. " New York "to secure this benefit. I enclose a copy of a communication conveying the thanks of the New Zealand Government, which I deemed expedient under the circumstances. As this is the first occasion upon which I have been able to influence this steamship company to the extent of delaying the departure of any of their vessels, and as the steamers of this line are almost always timed to depart from New York on the day appointed for the arrival there of the Homeward mails, I think the direct recognition of their action by the department upon this occasion would be in order. I have, &c, W. Gray, Esq., H. Stephenson Smith, Secretary, Post and Telegraph Department, Wellington. Resident Agent.

Enclosure in No. 34. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the International Steamship Company, New York. Gentlemen, — San Francisco, 27th January, 1897. I have the honour to confirm my telegrams of the 15th and 16th instant [not printed] in reference to the detention of the s.s. " New York," appointed to sail from your port on the 20th of this month. To-day lam in receipt of advices from the Postal Department conveying the pleasing intelligence that our mails succeeded in making the connection sought. I therefore desire to express, on behalf of my Government, their appreciation of your courteous action in this matter, as well as to convey my personal thanks for the important service you have rendered the Postal Departments of the Australian Governments in thus enabling their mails to go forward without suffering the delay consequent upon failure to connect with the transatlantic steamer upon that date. Should your company have incurred any telegraphic or other expenditure of a similar nature, you would confer a favour by informing me of the amount of same, and I will remit. I have, &c, The International Steamship Company, H. Stephenson Smith, No. 6, Bowling Green, New York. Resident Agent.

No. 35. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the President, International Steamship Company, New York. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd March, 1897. The Resident Agent for the New Zealand Government in San Francisco has reported that upon the occasion of the despatch of the Australasian mails for Europe from New York on the 20th January last you were good enough to postpone the departure of the s.s. " New York," in order to avoid the delay to the mails which would have resulted had the steamer gone at the hour appointed. The Postmaster-General of this colony was much gratified on learning of the consideration shown by your company on the occasion in question. It obviated a serious delay to the colonial mails in New York, and I am to offer you his best thanks for your courtesy. I have, &c, The President, International Steamship Company, W. Gray, Secretary. No. 6, Bowling Green, New York.

No. 36. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd March, 1897. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd ultimo, reporting upon the despatch of the homeward colonial mails from New York on the 20th January, when the