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No. 20. The Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington, to Mr. Dunnet, Wellington. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 21st October, 1901. I have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to forward herewith six copies of resolutions passed by the House of Representatives on Friday, the 18th instant, in connection with the renewal of the San Francisco mail-service. I shall be glad if you will, as early as possible, communicate with Messrs. the J. D. Spreckels and Bros. Company, and inform me whether the terms offered for the renewal of the service for a term of one year and six months are acceptable. I have, &c, G. Dunnet, Esq., Wellington Club, Wellington. W. Gbat, Secretary.

No. 21. The Seceetaby, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Postmaster-General's Department, Sib,— Melbourne, 22nd October, 1901. With reference to your inquiry, by cable, of the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney, on the 20th ultimo, as to whether the Messrs. Spreckels had made any proposal to that office or to the Federal Government to subsidise a service to San Francisco, I have the honour, by direction, to inform you that no proposal has been submitted to this Department on the subject in question, and inquiries through the Department of External Affairs have elicited the information that none has been made to that Department, though one of the members of the firm called on the Prime Minister when passing through Sydney some months ago. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Robt. T. Scott, Secretary.

No. 22. The Secbetaby, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Seceetaby to Conpebence of New Zealand Chambebs of Commerce, Christchurch. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 23rd October, 1901. I have the honour, by direction, to refer to your letter of the 28th January last [No. 190, F.-6, 1901], forwarding resolutions carried at the Conference of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce held at Christchurch, with reference to mail-service communication between New Zealand, America, and Europe, and to forward herewith two copies of the mail-service resolutions passed in the House of Representatives on the 18th instant. I have, &c, H. Antill Adley, Esq., W. Geay, Secretary. Secretary to Conference of New Zealand Chambers of Commerce, Christchurch.

No. 23. Mr. Dunnet, Auckland, to the Seceetaby, General Post Office, Wellington. Oceanic Steamship Company (American and Australian Line), Sic, — Auckland, 2nd November, 1901. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your favour of the 21st October, with enclosures (six copies of the resolutions passed by the House of Representatives on Friday, the 18th ultimo), in connection with the renewal of the San Francisco mail-service, for which I thank you. I have communicated with Mr. Spreckels, and find considerable difficulty in explaining the position at this distance by cable. The reply received said, " Cannot entertain proposals if we cannot obtain letters ten shillings and fivepence." This, of course, refers to the old rate for letters. I shall be pleased to hear from you whether there is any possibility of the old rate being continued. I have, &c, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Geo. Dunnet.

No. 24. The Hon. the Peemieb to the Agent-Genebal. Sib,— Premier's Office, Wellington, 6th November, 1901. In continuation of my letter of the 21st ultimo, covering copies of the mail-service resolutions, I have now the honour to enclose herewith six copies of the debate on the ocean mailservice question which took place in the House of Representatives on the 17th and 18th idem. On the resolutions being communicated to the representative in the colony of the Oceanic Steamship Company, that gentleman immediately cabled to San Francisco, and received a reply to the effect that Mr. Sweckels i s not disposed to consider any offer of a poundage-rate of less.