F.—B

No. lis. The Technical Manager, Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited (at Wellington), to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. • Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited, Australasia Chambers, Sir,—- Wellington, ,24th June, 1914. I have much pleasure in advising you that the reduced radio-telegraph charges recently introduced for intercolonial and coastal steamers have proved to be attractive to the travelling public, with the result that an increasing amount of traffic is being obtained from ships engaged in the intercolonial trade. The existing rates are, however, too high to be made use of by passengers on ships trading exclusively between two ports in New Zealand e.g., between Wellington and Lyttelton. I feel certain that if a special rate were introduced for vessels trading exclusively between two ports within the Dominion of New Zealand, and not going more than two hundred miles from the coast on a regular voyage, the increased facility would be appreciated and made use of by the travelling public, to the mutual advantage of all concerned. At the present time little or no paid traffic is obtained from such ships, and for that reason a special rate is justified if it produces revenue where none has been obtained in the past. Special rates have been applied by mutual arrangement between the British Post Office and the wireless-telegraph companies in the case of ships crossing the North Sea and the Irish Channel. The rates for radio-telegrams exchanged, through the medium of British coast stations, between ships at sea and any place within the United Kingdom, including ship charge, coast station and inland charges, are given below : — (a.) To or from ocean-going ships making voyages to ports over 1,000 miles from the United Kingdom, lOfd. per word, without minimum. (/).) To or from ships making voyages to ports over 200 miles but under 1,000 miles from the United Kingdom, sd. per word, with a minimum charge of 2s. 6d. per message. (o.) To or from ships making voyages to ports less than 200 miles from the United Kingdom, 2|d. per word, with a minimum charge of 2s. Id. per message. If your Department will agree to a total charge of 2Jd. per word for messages exchanged through New Zealand coaSt stations between any place in New Zealand and a ship trading exclusively between two ports within the Dominion of New Zealand, my company will be pleased to confirm that arrangement for all ship stations controlled by us. The division of tolls would be, of course, at, the rate of I-Jd. per word to the coast station and Id. per word to the ship station. At, this low rate I do not see any objection to a minimum charge of Is. 3d. per message of six words, and I think such a charge should be made in this case. I should be very grateful if you will give this your best consideration and inform me of your views in due course. I have, &c, E. T. Fisk, The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Technical Manager.

No. 119. vThe Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Technical Manager, Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Sydney. Sir,— General Post Office, Wellington, 17th July, 1914. In reference to your correspondence of last month with this office, and your interviews with Mr. Morris and myself, I have the pleasure to inform you that the Postmaster-General, as a tentative measure, is willing to reduce the cost of wireless messages exchanged between ships in the Wellington.-Lyttelton ferry service and land stations in New Zealand from sd. to 2£d. a word. Taking into consideration the representations which, have been made by the responsible officers of the Department, it has seemed proper to restrict the operation of the reduction to that particular sea voyage for the present. If, as is anticipated, the step proves by results to be justified, the Minister contemplates extending the reduction further, in the hope of being able to give full effect to the scheme as you proposed it. I have, &c, F. V. Waters, Acting-Secretary. The Technical Manager, Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited, 97 Clarence Street, Sydney.

No. 120. The Technical Manager, Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited, Sydney, to the ActingSecretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Amalgamated Wireless (Australasia), Limited, Sir, — Wireless House, 97 Clarence Street, Sydney, 23rd July, 1914. I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter dated on the 17th instant, from which I learned with much pleasure that the Postmaster-General, as a tentative measure, is willing to reduce the cost of wireless messages exchanged between ships in the Wellington-Lyttelton ferry service and land stations in New Zealand from sd. to 2Jd. per word. Although it is not particularly mentioned in your letter, I presume the Postmaster-General has also agreed with my suggestion that a minimum charge of Is. 3d. per message should be made in

40