27

P.—6a

carried are retained by this Department. The action of the shipping companies in endeavouring to obtain a guarantee that passengers would be conveyed on mail special is no doubt the outcome of the steamers having failed to connect with the train at New Plymouth on one or two occasions when they have been detained at Onehunga waiting arrival of Frisco mails. The steamer companies apparently desire to rid themselves of the responsibility in connection with the passengers, and to pass that responsibility on to the Postal or Railway Department, neither of which should, in my opinion, undertake the same. T. Ronayne, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. General Manager.

No. 98. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Chief Postmaster, Auckland. (Memorandum.) General Post Office, Wellington, 2nd May, 1906. Your memorandum of 9th March, 1906 : Shipping companies for guarantee of special train from New Plymouth, with carriages attached, in event of failure of steamers with Frisco mail to connect with express. I forward herewith, for your information, copy of a memorandum [No. 97] from the Railway Department on the above subject. I agree that no responsibility should be accepted by this Department. Thomas Rose, The Chief Postmaster, Auckland. Acting-Secretary.

No. 99. The Acting Chief Postmaster, Auckland, to the Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Auckland. Sir,— Chief Post Office, Auckland, sth May, 1906. Referring to representations made by you early in March last respecting a guarantee from my Department that a special train, with passenger-carriages attached, would be run between New Plymouth and Wellington in the event of your steamer missing connection with the express owing to its detention at Onehunga for the San Francisco mail, I beg to inform you that the matter was laid before the Department, and I am now in receipt of a reply from the Secretary of the General Post Office, Wellington, in which he concurs with the opinion expressed by the General Manager of Railways that the guarantee you asked for cannot be given. I am, &c, E. V. Senn, Acting Chief Postmaster. The Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Auckland. [Letter of same date in same terms to the Manager, Northern Steamship Company, Auckland.]

No. 100: The Manager, Northern Steamship Company, Auckland, to the Chief Postmaster, Auckland. Sir, — Northern Steamship Company (Limited), Auckland, 7th May, 1906. I am in receipt of your letter of the sth instant, and have noted contents. Under the circumstances I shall be unable to detain the " Rarawa " in future pending the arrival of the San Francisco mail if there should be a risk of the steamer missing the train on the following morning. Yours, &c, (For the Northern Steamship Company), Chief Postmaster, Auckland. Charles Ranson, Manager.

No. 101. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Railway Department, Wellington. (Memorandum.) General Post Office, Wellington, 18th May, 1906. Your Communication of 2%-th April, 1906: Special Trains for San Francisco Mails . The Managers of the Union Steam Ship Company and of the Northern Steamship Company, Auckland, were informed by the Acting Chief Postmaster there that the guarantee asked for could not be given. The manager of the latter company now replies as follows: — " Under the circumstances I shall be unable to detain the ' Rarawa ' in future pending the arrival of the San Francisco mail if there should be a risk of the steamer missing the train on the following morning."