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No. 23. The Superintendent of Foreign Mails, Washington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Division Sib,— of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., 13th July, 1906. 1 have the honour, by direction of the Postmaster-General, to acknowledge the receipt of your letters dated the 31st May [No. 71, L<\-6a, 1906] and Bth June last [No. 78, F.-6a, 1906] respectively, with their enclosures, relative to the diversion of the mails for New Zealand from San Francisco to Vancouver for conveyance to New Zealand by the steamer " Moana " of the Union Steam Ship Company, in consequence of the earthquake at San Francisco on the 18th April last, additional compensation having been allowed by your Administration to the Union Steam Ship Company for said conveyance. In reply, I have to inform you that this Department Kettles with the Canada Office upon the basis of the regular international transit statistics for the sea conveyance of mails carried by steamers sailing from Vancouver, said settlements applying by virtue of Article XXXI of the Regulations for the execution of the Universal Postal Convention of Washington, to all the mails so despatched, except in the cases provided for in sections 2 and 3 of said article. The despatch per the steamer " Moana " in the emergency occasioned by the disaster at San Francisco does not come within the scope of the exceptions provided for in sections 2 and 3 above referred to, and consequently, in the opinion of this Department, should not give rise to a claim for additional compensation against this Department by the Postal Administration of Canada which furnished the conveyance. I am, &c, N. M. Bbooks, Superintendent of Foreign Mails. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.O. 06/1774.1

No. 24. The Deputy Postmaster-General, Ottawa, to the Actino-Secretauy, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Post Office Department, Canada. Ottawa, 19th July, 1906. I desire to acknowledge and thank you for your communication of the Bth June [No. 76, F.-6a, 1906], stating that in connection with the diversion of mails from San Francisco to Vancouver for despatch by tlie " Moana," your Mail Agent, Mr. Lindsay, had reported that he had received assistance in many ways from Mr. F. R". Harrison, Assistant-Postmaster, Vancouver, and Mr. J. 0. McLeod, Superintendent of Railway Mail-service at Vancouver, and requesting that the appreciation of your Department should be conveyed to these officers. In reply, I would say that I shall have much pleasure in complying with your request. I have, &c, R. M. Coulter, Deputy Postmaster-General. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand. [P.O. 06/1678.]

No. 25. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, Sib, — 216 California Street, 2nd August, 1906. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 7th July [No. 83, F.-6a, 1906], referring to several matters in connection with the late calamity in this city, and the suspension of the mail-service, &c. I have to thank you for your kind expression of sympathy in my personal distress upon this occasion. In respect to the suspension and resumption of the mail-service, 1 regret that the performances of the steamers " Sonoma " and " Ventura " have turned out so unsatisfactorily. The " Sonoma, , ' which left as you state five days late upon her return trip to this country, only arrived here on Monday afternoon, the 30th ultimo, having added two more days to the late arrival. It is stated unofficially that the boilers have been giving much trouble upon the homeward trip. Seeing that this steamer was delayed six weeks after her appointed date of departure (19th April), it would seem that her condition should have been looked into before departure. On account of necessary repairs this vessel will not leave upon her outward trip until Saturday at the earliest, which will be three days after arrival of the through mails here. I trust that she may make a better record this trip, but am doubtful whether much improvement will be noted. I have, <fee, H. Stephknson Smith, Resident Agent. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, [U.S. Inc. oe/90.]