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No. 73. Messrs. John D. Spreckels and Brothers Company, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Oceanic Steamship Company, San Francisco, 31st May, 1906. As you are aware, circumstances over which we had no control compelled us to temporarily suspend the operating of our Australian service, thus affecting our mail contract. Most of our records were destroj'ed in the fire, and during the first few days of the disaster the steamers were prevented from departing by the action of the United States authorities. Our entire service for the time being was temporarily disorganized. It is now in workingcondition again, and will be resumed with regularity as before. Yours, &c, Oceanic S.S. Company, J. D. Spreckels and Brothers Company. William Gray, Esq., Secretary, Post Office, Wellington, N.Z.

No. 74. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd June, 1906. I beg to attach hereto, for your information, copy of the list of code-words for announcing the arrival and departure of mails at and from Victoria, 8.C., and San Francisco. Your telegram of the 31st ultimo from Oakland, reporting the departure of the R.M.S. " Sonoma," would indicate that the list you had already been supplied with had been destroyed. Yours, &c, Thomas Rose, Acting-Secretary. H. Stephenson Smith, Esq., Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco.

No. 75. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, Bth June, 1906. I have the honour to inform you that Mr. Lindsay, who was this Department's Mail Agent on the R.M.S. " Sonoma " in San Francisco when the earthquake occurred on the 18th April last, reports, in connection with the diversion of the mails to Vancouver, that the United States Railway Mail Service rendered every assistance at Oakland pier, Portland, and Seattle. He specially mentions the help given by Mr. F. E. Whitney and Mr. R. A. Whiting, Chief Clerks at Portland and Seattle respectively. As the action taken by your officers to facilitate the transmission of the mails was of considerable importance, I shall be obliged by your conveying to Mr. Whitney and Mr. Whiting this Department's appreciation of their courtesy. I have, &c, Thomas Rose, Acting-Secretary. The Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Post Office Department, Washington, D.C.

No. 76. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, Bth June, 1906. I have the honour to infom you that Mr. Lindsay, Mail Agent of this Department on the R.M.S. " Moana " on her recent voyage from Vancouver, reports, in connection with the diversion of the mails from San Francisco, that he received assistance in many ways from Mr. F. E. Harrison, Assistant Postmaster, and Mr. J. 0. McLeod, Superintendent of the Canadian Railway Mail Service, Vancouver. As the action of the officers named was of much assistance in the special circumstances, I shall be obliged by your conveying to them this Department's appreciation of their courtesy. The chief officer of the " Moana " was asked to return to Vancouver by first steamer the lettersorting case, table, and set of iron newspaper-hoppers which Mr. McLeod kindly provided. I have, (fee, Thomas Rose, Acting-Secretary. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa. 3—F. 6a.