Mail Service via San Francisco.

The importance of maintaining the continuation of the Postal Service between London and New Zealand viâ San Francisco has been fully recognised by your Committee, especially in view of the contemplated withdrawal of New South Wales from the contract. Your Committee can only repeat the tenor of the resolutions that have already been adopted, to the effect that whether our Government is supported by New South Wales or not, the San Francisco Mail Service must be maintained, believing, further, that it eclipses all other routes in the important element of time.

On the occasion of the Postmaster-General's recent visit to Auckland a deputation of the Chamber waited upon him with a view of ascertaining whether some arrangement might not be come to whereby the service might be accelerated, so as to make it a 30 days' service from London. It was suggested that the mails should be despatched from London on the Saturday, instead of Thursday, as at present, to enable them to be sent by fast steamers of the Cunard or Guion Companies.

Your Committee have since been informed by Government that the Imperial Post-office has an agreement with the White Star Line to carry the mails until August 30th, and therefore no other arrangement can be made until then. But the question of what should be done for securing after August the best steamers for the Atlantic Mail Service will soon be brought forward, as Mr. Baxter, M.P., had a notice on the Paper when the Imperial Parliament met.

It must also be a source of satisfaction that the Government of the United States is fully alive to the necessity of subsidising the lines conveying foreign mails, Congress having passed an appropriation of £160,000 for this purpose; and it is only reasonable to conclude that the Pacific Mail Company will participate in the allocation of the vote.