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F.—6.

No. 101. The Chief of the Post and Tbi.burahh Service, Noumea, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Sir, — Noumea, 3rd August, 1910. By a letter dated 16th September, 1908, and by a further reminder dated 2nd July last, the firm of Burns, Philp, and Co., of Sydney, acting as agents for the Oceanic Steamship Company, of San Francisco, claims from us the amount of transit charges due for the conveyance of postal mails from New Caledonia for the United States of America, and advises us that, from the .31st December, 1900, the New Zealand Government has ceased to pay to the company in question the transit charges due for the above-mentioned mails, and that a settlement should be made by the Government of New Caledonia for such carriage included between the Ist January, 1901, and the cessation of the service of the Oceanic Company, which took place in May, 1907. I have the honour to-ask you to be so good as to inform me whether the company's claim is well founded. If so, I should be glad if you would give me. if possible, such information as would enable me to compute the sums earned under this head by the Oceanic Steamship Company. I have, &c, Chief or thb Post and Telegraph Service. The Secretary, General P>>st Office, Wellington. [S.F. Payments 10/11.1

No. 102. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Chief of thb Post and Telegraph Service, Noumea. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 6th September, 1910. 1 have the honour to refer to your letter of the 3rd ultimo, on the subject of the claim of the agents of the Oceanic Steamship Company, of San Francisco, for payment for the conveyance from Australia to San Francisco of New Caledonia mails for the United States of America from the Ist January, 1901, to May, 1907, when the service ceased. In reply, I beg to inform you that the company is entitled' to the payment claimed. Your office settled annual accounts with this Department on the basis fixed by the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union to the 31st December, 1900; and direct payment by you to the steamship company for the service in question is due, therefore, from the Ist January, 1901. As the mails were placed on board the .steamers at Sydney and not handled in New Zealand, this Department has not a record of their contents or weights. I have, &c,, D. Robertson, Secretary. The Chief of the Post and Telegraph Service, Noumea. [S.F. Payments 10/14.]

No. 103. Messrs. Henderson and Macfari-ane. Auckland, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington S IR) Auckland, 27th September, 1910. When the Oceanic Steamship Company ceased running some years ago there was a small amount of mail-money due the company for mails between New Zealand and New Caledonia. Our Sydney friends, Messrs. Burns, Philp, and Co. (Limited), Oceanic representatives in Sydney, have applied to the New Caledonian Government on the subject, and the Director of Posts informs them that he has written to the New Zealand Government to ascertain amount due. Messrs. Burns, Philp, and Co. (Limited) have written to us asking us to take the matter up with your Government, and we shall be pleased to have any information that you can give us on the subject. We have, &c, Henderson ane Macfarlane. The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. [SJP. Payments 10/15.)

No. 104. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to Messrs. Henderson and Macfarlane, Auckland. Gentlemen,— General Post Office, Wellington, 7th October, 1910. I have the honour, by direction, to refer to your letter of the 27th ultimo. There is no mail-money due the Oceanic Steamship Company for mails between New Zealand and New Caledonia. Respecting payment still due for the conveyance by steamers of the company from Australia to San Francisco of New Caledonian mails for the United States of .America, I am to inform you that a communication on the subject was recently received by this Department from the Chief of the Post and Telegraph Service, Noumea. A reply was sent to the effect that this Administration was not in a position to give the contents or the weights of such mails, as they wore placed on board the mail-steamers at Sydney, and were not therefore handled in New Zealand. T have » &c > Messrs. Henderson and Maofartane, Auckland. D. Robertson, Secretary. [S.F. Payments 10/16.]