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MAILS BY WEIR LINE.

No. 19. The Acting Second Assistant Postmaster-General, Washington, to the Hon. the Post-master-General, Wellington. Post Office Department, Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster-General, g IE _ Division of Foreign Mails, Washington, D.C., Ist August, 1907. Referring to this Department's letter of the 26th April last [not printed], relative to the despatch of parcel-post mails for New Zealand during the interruption of the mail-service between San Francisco and Auckland by means of the steamers of the Oceanic Steamship Company, I have the honour by direction of the Postmaster-General, to inform you that the services of the steamers ot the Australian Mail Line scheduled to sail on the 30th of the current month (August), and every twentyeight days thereafter from San Francisco for Auckland and Sydney, have been tendered to this Department for the conveyance of mails for New Zealand and Australia, and that the tender has been accepted, the time occupied in the voyage from San Francisco to Auckland and Sydney being about twenty-fave and thirty-one days respectively. . The first despatch under the new arrangement will be per the steamer Foreric, scheduled to sail on the 30th instant. I have &c, John W. Hollyday, Acting Second Assistant Postmaster-General. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. CP '°' 07/ " B<3)] [Acknowledged 14th October, 1907.]

No. 20. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco. (Telegram.) Wellington, 29th August, 1907. When did " Foreric " leave ? What mails ? [S.F. Agr. 07/154.]

No. 21. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) San Francisco > 29tn August, 1907. Will leave for your port 30th August. American mails only. [S.F. Agr. 07/155.1

No. 22. The Resident Agent for New Zealand, San Francisco, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. SIR _ Resident Agency for New Zealand, San Francisco, 30th August, 1907. I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your cable of the 29th instant, to which I replied under same date, both of which I beg to confirm. . . , Upon receipt of your cable I communicated with the steamship agents located m this city, and also communicated with the Postal Department here, and ascertained that all American mails would go forward to-day, but no advices had been received indicating that any European mails were coming thl ° in ascertaining the time occupied in the transit of this communication, and shall be pleased if you will kindly inform me of the date of receipt by you. I hear the first vessel is going out with a fair freight-list for a first trip ; and probably from a cargo point of view the line will be a success, but from a mail-service standpoint it may not be a great success. l ' I have, &c, H. Stephenson Smith, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Resident Agent. [S.F. Agr. 07/161.] . '

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