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No. 102. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, uo the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 4th August, 1913. At the meeting of my Council held to-day I was directed to respectfully draw your attention to the fact that the " Warrimoo " is advertised as resuming her old running in the Melbourne-Wellington-Sydney trade, and to inquire, in view of the uncertainty of the mails carried by her connecting with the Suez mail-steamer, whether you will take such steps as are necessary to ensure the connection with the English mail-steamer at Adelaide. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. H. D. Vickeet, Secretary. [Suez Conn. 13/89.] _^^ <^____________

No. 103. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Sir, — Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Wellington, 4th August, 1913 In connection also with the Suez service, I was asked if the Postal Department could make a practice of publicly intimating when the steamer from Wellington does not connect with the English mail-steamer, as this is a matter of considerable import to merchants and the business community generally. I have, &c, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. H. D. Vickbry, Secretary. [Suez Conn. 13/113.] ______________^^^__

No. 104. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 7th August, 1913. This Department understands that it is the intention of your company to again place the s.s. " Warrimoo "in the Wellington-Sydney service. If this information is correct, I should be glad if you would reconsider the decision. During the twelve months prior to her being removed from the service the " Warrimoo " made eight trips. On three occasions she arrived in Sydney in time to make a connection with the ordinary mail-train leaving for Adelaide on the Tuesday, and en the five others she missed that connection. ■ On the latter occasions she arrived twice late on Tuesdays and three times she arrived on Wednesdays. When she arrived late on the Tuesdays the mails were forwarded by special trains at the cost of this Department; and when she arrived on Wednesdays, once the mails made the close connection, as the Orient steamer left Adelaide on the Friday, and twice the mails were delaj-ed in Sydney for a week, and consequently arrived late in London, much to the public inconvenience. I have, &c, W. R. Morris, Secretary. The General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Dunedin. [Suez Conn. 13/88.] ____________^_

No. 105. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Secretary, Chamber of Commerce. Wellington. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, Bth August, 1913. In reference to your letter of the 4th instant, on the subject of the mail-service between New Zealand and the United Kingdom via Suez, I have the honour, by direction, to inform you, in regard to the request that intimation be given to the public when the close connection in Australia is missed, that for some years past such information, which is received by cable message from the Post Office of the Commonwealth, has been promptly distributed to the Press and announced at post-offices. I have, &c, W. R. Morris, Secretary. The Secretary, Chamber of Commerce, Wellington. [Suez Conn. 13/115.] _________^_^^__

No. 106. The Assistant General Manager, Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), Sir, — Dunedin, 9th August, 1913. I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of jour letter of the 7th instant, in reference to the '■' Warrimoo " resuming the Wellington-Sydney service. I note that she failed to connect with the mails on two occasions out of eight last year, and we regret that this should have been so. The "Warrimoo'' will in future be merely a relieving ship, and it is not intended to employ her permanently in the Wellington-Sydney service. In the present case she is relieving the " Willochra," which is replacing the " Aorangi " temporarily in the San Francisco mailservice.