35

F.—6,

No. 101. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Deputy Postmaster-General, Sydney. (Telegram.) Wellington, 16th June, 1909. Send by " Schamhorst." [Sent.] [P.O. 09/580(5).]

No. 102. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th June, 1909. In reference to your telegram of yesterday, explaining the delay suffered by the " Warrimoo," in consequence of which the English mails by that vessel missed connection with the overland train from Sydney to Melbourne on the previous day, I have the pleasure to inform you that the Hon. the Postmaster-General agrees to waive the penalty provided by the contract for failure to connect. I have, &c, W. R. Morris, Acting-Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Suez Conn. 09/35.]

No. 103. The Deputy Postmaster - General, Sydney, to the Acting - Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Postmaster-General's Department, General Post Office, Sydney, 14th July, 1909. I have the honour to forward hereunder copy of the text of a communication dated 28th ultimo, received from the Railway Department here. " I have to inform you that in the event of special train being required from Sydney (with New Zealand mails) to connect with Adelaide express at Melbourne, it will not be possible, owing to additional express trains now running, to arrive at Albury before 10.45 a.m., and allowing half an hour at latter place for transferring mails would mean special arriving in Melbourne at about 4.30 p.m. under the most favourable conditions. The Victorian Department indicate that they could not guarantee connection at Melbourne under the circumstances, but would be prepared to run special to overtake Adelaide express." I shall be glad, therefore, to receive further instructions as to the disposal of New Zealand mails for the United Kingdom, &c, when the steamer arrives at Sydney too late to catch the express train to Melbourne, by which these mails are ordinarily despatched for conveyance from Adelaide by the P. and O. and Orient line steamers. I have, &c, E. J. Young, Deputy Postmaster-General. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. [Suez Conn. 09/44.]

No. 104. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 30th July, 1909. I have the honour to refer to the letter of the 14th instant from the Deputy PostmasterGeneral, Sydney, on the subject of the disposal of New Zealand mails for the United Kingdom and other places despatched from Wellington on Fridays arriving at Sydney too late to connect with the express train to Melbourne. Before dealing further with the matter, I should be obliged if you would furnish me with the probable cost of a special train for the mails—(l) from Sydney to Melbourne ; (2) from Melbourne to Adelaide. I have, &c, W. R. Morris, Acting-Secretary. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne. [Suez Conn. 09/ 47.]

6—F. 6.