71

New Zealand has intimated that the Postal Department of that Colony is unable to dispense with the issuing officer's signature ; whilst Tasmania has notified the Sydney Office that unsigned Telegraph Money Order Advices will not be recognised by that Colony. We are of opinion that the practice of wiring the Postmaster's signature is a safeguard. We also consider that the simplest way of adjusting the charges with the Cable Company loould be to pay them their proper tariff of 2s. in the case of New Zealand, and Is. in the case of Tasmania, for the first 10 words, and 3a\ and Id. each additional word contained in the messages transmitted over the New Zealand and Tasmanian cable lines respectively, the sender, of course, being charged the full rates as given in the Postal Guide. No. 61. —"Exchange of Money Orders wdth Japan." The Hong Kong Office having intimated that they can no longer act as intermediary in connection with the exchange of Money Orders between Australia and Japan, we advise that a joint Convention be entered into with that country. Nos. 62 and 63. —" Suggested discontinuance of the issue of Duplicate Postal Notes and the payment of the face value of postage stamps affixed to Postal Notes."—" Duplicate Postal Notes." We advise that a Duplicate Postal Note may be issued on satisfactory evidence of the destruction of the original, or in case of 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 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. 64. —" Exchange of Postal Notes between Australasia and the United Kingdom." At the 1892 (Hobart) Conference it was decided to invite the London Office "to adopt an exchange of postal notes with the Australasian Colonies on the same lines as those now existing betw.een some of the Colonies." At the 1893 (Brisbane) Conference the Permanent Heads reported that " the London Office having absolutely refused to exchange postal notes with Australia, we have no recommendation to make." At the 1894 (New Zealand) Conference the Permanent Heads reported that " as no new circumstances have arisen since the Brisbane Conference, we do not think that this matter should be reconsidered at present; " and, again, at the 1895 (Hobart) Conference it was reported that "the London Office was communicated with, but declined to exchange postal notes on account of the great risk." It appears from enquiry made by the Deputy Postmaster-General of New South Wales, when in London last year, that that office is quite firm in its opposition to the exchange of postal notes between the Australian Colonies and the United Kingdom. In the first place there is the old objection, namely, the difficulty of guarding against forgery and fraud, and of providing for the payment of these notes at the 12,000 offices in the United Kingdom, many of these being held, as in our case, by storekeepers who could not distinguish between a postal note issued at one country or another country, or whether it was a forgery. A further objection is that the balance —always an uncertain one — would be against the United Kingdom, that is to say, that more postal notes would be issued in the Colonies upon Great Britain than in Great Britain upon the Colonies. It was suggested that the case might be met by adopting a similar course to that in the case of India, that is, let the Colonies purchase a quantity of British Postal Notes, paying of course cash for them, and also paying the commission. The London Office has no objection to our selling these notes in the Colonies, charging of course our commission in addition to the British commission. Should this be done they would agree to date the currency of the notes only from the date of our postmark, and not from the date of purchase from the London Office. It is stated that experience has shown that there is very little demand for these notes in India. We consider that all the requirements of the public in the way of remitting small sums of money have been met in most of the Colonies by the reduction in the charge on Money Orders for sums not exceeding £l, from I*. to 6a". No. 69. —" Berne's Circular re tabulated Telegraph Routes, and method of indicating such Routes." We consider this does not affect the Colonies to any great extent, and it is therefore recommended that no action be taken. No. 70.—" Fire Alarm*." We have no report to make. No. 71.—" Sunday Telegraph Rates to Tasmania." We recommend that Tasmania adopt the Sunday rates on telegrams charged in the other Colonies. .