F.—6

1902. NEW ZEALAND.

OCEAN MAIL-SERVICES (FURTHER PAPERS RELATING TO). [In continuation of Paper F.-6c, presented on the 17th October, 1901.]

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

INDEX. San Francisco Mail-service— Page Oceanic Company olaiming Payment from Australian States. Date of terminating Late Contract. Alleged Proposal to omit New Zealand from Oceanic Company's Eoute : Sydney Agent's Utterances. Proposal for Contract with New Zealand. Repairs to Steamers. Protests in New Zealand against subsidising Ooeanio Company. Value as Passenger Route. Parliament authorises Eighteen Months' Renewal of Service. Feeling against Exclusion of British Vessel. No Proposal made to Federal Government to subsidise Service. Proposals for Continuation of English Communication in case Negotiations with Company fail. Chambers of Commerce on Oceanic Freight-rates. Mr. Spreckels objects to Lowered Poundage Rates : acoepts Resolutions of Parliament as Basis of Contract. Altering Day from Auckland, Saturday to Friday, to avoid Atlantic Delays. Time-table for 1902. Preparation of Contraot: Terms ; Detention at Ports ; Demurrage ; Passenger and Freight Rates ; Harbour Dues; Chambers of Commerce Conference objecting to Service not under British Flag. Hour of Despatch from Auokland : Proposal for Night Train from Wellington. Auckland Quarantine Regulations. Use of Service by Fiji. Copy of Contraot .. .. .. .. .. 1 Incidents of United States and Atlantic Transit: —Delays in Arrival in San Franoisco ;in London. Use of Slow Steamers from New York. Breakdowns on Pacific Labour Troubles: Qaarantine. Delay in Amerioan Overland Transit. Effecting Rapid American Transit to catch Saturday's Fast Steamer at New York :by San Francisco Post Office ; Quarantine Officers and Customs Officers; Oceanic Company and Railway Companies. Representations to New York Post Office for Special Despatch. Steamers not maintaining Connection at San Francieoo through Protracted Repairs : Mail-agents waiting over at Honolulu. Fiji Mail delayed., Imperial Post Office refusing to despatch North Island Mails via Brindisi only in First Week after San Francisoo Despatch. Payment for Despatch from United Kingdom for Australia, November, 1900. Weights of Mails for Way-ports on Paoifio. Union Paoifio and Southern Paoific Railway Companies amalgamated. Suggestion to modify Quarantine at San Francisco to permit of Rapid Transfer of Mails. "A Race with the Australian Mails." Oceanic Company detaining Steamer at San Francisco to await " Saxonia's " Mails : Claim for Detention made and withdrawn. Altering Pacific Steamers to increase Speed. Use of Slow Steamers from London: London asked to use Swiftest Vessels, alternative to Contraot Vessels. Washington Office not compelling Ooeanic Company under Contract to detain Steamers. Homeward Delays continue : Proposal to obviate by Friday Despatch from Auckland .. .. .. 28 Vancouver Service — Appropriation of Sea-postage on Mails from United Kingdom via Canada carried by Steamers of CanadianAustralian Line. Rumoured Acceleration of Canadian-Paoiflo Service. Vancouver Steamers again calling at Fiji: Despatch of Vancouver Mails from Auckland to Fiji: Special Arrangements for May, 1902. Resolutions of Chambers of Commerce Conference, that Postal Services should be under British Flag: --Vancouver Service reinstated ; Federal Service connected with by Weekly New Zealand Service. Subsidy paid by Contracting Governments for Vancouver Service .. .. .. 46 Federal and Australia-New Zealand Services— Transit Rates across Italy and France. Owing to delay to San Francisco Steamer, Mails despatched by Federal Service : Arrangements for Connection. Chamber of Oommeroe proposing Altered Timetable for New Zealand-Australian Running to fit on to Federal Service. New Zealand coming in to Federal Service on Basis of Population .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 48 Interpeovincial Service— Arrangement for Continuation of Servioe. Steamer's Detention at Auckland on Tuesday not a Ground of Charge. Providing Daily Servioe between New Plymouth and Onehunga. Altering Running to suit Friday's Despatoh outward from Auokland ~ .. ~ .. ~ .. 50 I—F. 6.