F.—6

6

No. 9. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Agent, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. Siß,— General Post Office, Wellington, 31st December, 1907. honour jtojfrefer to your letter of the 18th instant, covering one from the Oceanic about payment for the carriage|of mails from New Caledonia by the San Francisco steamers, and to explain that this Department is not concerned, as the matter of the payment is one for direct settlement between the Oceanic Steamship Company and the New Caledonia Post Office. The position is set out in the attached copy of the letters of the 17th September, and 18th November. 1902, from this office to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. I have, &c, W. R. Morris, for Secretary. J. C. Spedding, Esq., Post-office Box 462, Auckland. [S.F. Payts. 07/105.]

Enclosure 1 in No. 9. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Agents for New Zealand, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. Sib,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th September, 1902. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant on the subject of payment for the carriage of mails from the Australian States, Tasmania, and Fiji by the San Francisco steamers during the period Ist July, 1901, to 30th June, 1902. In reply, I have to invite your attention to my letter of the 22nd July, 1901 [No. 2, F.-6, 1902], in which Messrs. the Spreckels and Brothers Company were advised that from the Ist idem your company would make their own arrangements with the States concerned, including Tasmania, for the conveyance of Australian mails. The New Caledonia Post Office will also make payment to your company direct for the carriage of its mails. My letter of the 11th June last [No. 89, F.-6,1902] intimated that this Department proposed to make payment annually of the amount due to your company for the conveyance of Fijian correspondence, and so soon as a complete year's payments have been received from Suva a statement will be rendered showing the amount payable to the Oceanic Steamship Company. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, General Agents for New Zealand for the Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland.

Enclosure 2 in No. 9. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Agents for New Zealand, Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland. Gentlemen,— General Post Office, Wellington, 18th November, 1902. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant [No. 53, F.-6, 1903], on the subject of the payment Jfor the carriage of mails from New Caledonia by the San Francisco steamers, and, in reply, beg to inform you that, New {Caledonia having settled annual accounts with this Department to the 31st December, 1900, on the basis fixed by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union, the date of payment to your company by the Administration in question should be as from the Ist January, 1901. This account your company will, of course, have settled directly by New Caledonia As to the carriage of mails for Fiji, claimgjhasjjnow been made by this Department for the June and September quarters of the present year. As soon as payment owing for the full year up to the 30th June, 1902, is received, the amount will be handed over. This should be in a few weeks now. I have, &c, W. Gray. Secretary. Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, General Agents for New Zealand for the Oceanic Steamship Company, Auckland.

No. 10. [News Extract, sth February, 1908.] American Mail Subsidies. Proposed Increases. (Telegram.) . New York, 4th February, 1908. The Senate's Committee on Commerce has reported favourably on a Bill introduced with the object of increasing mail subsidies for steamers trading between the United States and the Philippines and Australasia. [S.F. Agr. 08/21 A]