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AUSTRALIA SUEZ SERVICES.

TRANSIT CHARGES. No. 70. The ACTING-SECRETARY, Postmaster-General's Department. Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, 22nd August, 1908. With reference to your letter of the Bth ultimo [not printed], and previous correspondence, relative to the proposed alteration in the payment of transit charges for New Zealand mails, I have the honour to inform you that this Administration agrees to the proposal for basing, on statistics taken during the statistical period in November. 1907, transit charges on New Zealand mail-matter in respect of the following services—viz. : — (a.) Overland transit through Australian territory of mails from New Zealand to the United Kingdom and foreign countries. (6.) Sea transit by " Orient " packets from Australia to Italy of mails to the United Kingdom, Europe, <fec. (c.) Sea transit by " Orient " packets from Australia to Colombo, India, Hong Kong, and other places, (rf.) Sea transit by contract vessels wo Vancouver. (c) Onward conveyance from New Zealand of mails from Australia to South Sea Islands. Charges for sea transit of mails by non-contract vessels for South Africa and other places beyond the Commonwealth to be adjusted as heretofore —viz., on the amounts actually paid as gratuities. 2. The Commonwealth, being now one Administration under the Rome Convention, will not levy charges for the maritime or territorial transit of mails from New Zealand to any of the Australian States — e.g., sea transit from Adelaide or Melbourne to Western Australia, or from Melbourne to Tasmania, and charges for land transit through New South Wales. Victoria, or South Australia of mails to Western Australia and Tasmania will not be charged from the Ist January, 1908. 3. Attached hereto are " M " statements [not printed], in duplicate, relating to mail-matter forwarded from New Zealand to Western Australia per P. and 0. packets, and I shall be glad if, after examination, you will kindly return them to this office duly indorsed as accepted. 4. I may add that a number of such statements relating to New Zealand mails in transit via Australia have not yet been received here. I have, &c Justinian Oxenham, Acting-Secretary. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [Acknowledged 25th September, 1908.] [P.O. 08/3392.]

WELLINGTON-SYDNEY CONNECTION, ETC. No. 71. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, Bth June, 1908. I have the honour to bring before you the question of the time of despatch of the steamer from Wellington to Sydney. On the 22nd ultimo, the " Maitai " left at 9.20 p.m., and on the 29th idem the " Warrimoo " at 9.50 p.m. On each of these occasions the vessel succeeded in arriving at Sydney in time to connect with the Suez mail; but it is considered that, in order to insure the connection being made under ordinary circumstances, the steamers should leave Wellington at 4 p.m., as was originallv arranged. In making these representations I am not unmindful that I asked for the detention of the " Moeraki " on the Bth ultimo for the northern mails. This, however, was an exceptional case, twenty-five bags of mail for the United Kingdom and Australia being delayed in transit from Auckland owing to bad weather on the coast. I was aware that the " Moeraki " was a fast vessel, and made the request that the time of her departure be postponed to 8 p.m. after you had informed me that with ordinary weather the connection at Sydney could be made. There is, I think you will agree, a difference between an ordinary and a special despatch which have the one feature in common of involving the risk of an arrival in Sydney too late to connect with the outward English mail. I have, &c, D. Robertson, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. | CO. 08/2104.]

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