35

No. 86.—" Consideration of Berne's Circular Letter, August 3rd, 1897." This letter relates to contradictory articles in the Buda-Pesth Convention pointed out by Austria. No report is thought to be necessary, aa the matter can be dealt with departmentally. No. 89.—" Urgent Telegrams, distinctive coloured forms." This is a matter which can be dealt with departmentally. No. 91. —"Typewriters for Telegrams." This matter can be dealt with departmentally, No. 93.—" Proposal that Australasian Telegraph Administrations undertake for a fee the ' coding' of International Messages, as is now done by Reuters Agency." We are of opinion that the time is not yet ripe for the consideration of this question. Nos. 94, 95, 96, and 97.—"Adoption of Uniform Charges and Regulations with respect to International Code Addresses."—" Surnames as Code Addresses."—" Code Addresses."—" Code Addresses, registration of." We recommend that the fee for registration of code addresses be lO.s. 6c?. for the year, or 2s. 6c?. for one month, for each address registered. We also recommend that the attention of the Australasian Administrations be drawn to the Resolution passed at the Conference at Sydney in November, 1896, with the request that it be complied wdth in future. The following is the Resolution referred to :—"(1.) That code addresses be not adopted intercolonially, except in the case of Tasmania and New Zealand, which for this purpose are international. (2.) That in connection with International Messages, code surnames be not accepted." Nos. 98, 99, 100.—"Telegraph Regulations."—"Telephone Regulations."—"Private Telephone Line." No report. We advise that these questions be taken up later on if time permits. No. 101. —"Free transmissions of Telegrams on Postal Service over New Zealand and Bass Straits Cables." We recommend that this matter be dealt with departmentally. No. 103. —"Regulations regarding Uniforms of Letter Carriers and Messengers." We recommend that this matter be dealt with departmentally. No. 104. —" Holidays, Christmas and Good Friday." We recommend that this matter be dealt with departmentally. No. 105.—Free transmission of instructions respecting delivery of Telegrams." We recommend that office instructions, such as "By post," "Porterage paid," or "guaranteed,'' be charged for, the same as " Reply paid." The following Reports on subjects which had been referred back to the Sub-Committee were also agreed to : — No. 62.—" Suggested discontinuance of the issue of Duplicate Postal Notes and the Payment of the Face Value of Postage Stamps affixed to Postal Notes." We advise that a Duplicate Postal Note may be issued on satisfactory evidence of the destruction of the original, or, in the case of its loss, on the expiration of six months from the date of such original note. No note shall be paid after the expiration of six months from the date of issue without reference to the Head Office of the Colony of issue, in order to ascertain whether the original has been paid. No. 39. —" Ratification of Washington Congress, and consideration of the various Conventions entered into at Washington but not signed by the Australasian Delegate." We see no objection to the ratification by the Australasian Administrations of the Postal Union Convention as agreed to at Washington. The most important question, so far as Australasia is concerned, is the reduction of the territorial and sea transits ; but we find that these reductions will, if anything, be in our favour, especially as, owing to the new arrangements in connection with the P. & O. and Orient contracts, the transit rates payable by non-contracting countries and colonies will, instead of being retained by Great Britain in one direction and the Colonies in the other, be placed to the credit of the subsidy, and the balance divided between Great Britain and the Colonies in the proportion of to Great Britain and !J to the Colonies.