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No. 22. The Manager in Austealasia, Eastern Extension Company, Melbourne, to the Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Sib,— Melbourne, 24th October, 1902. Routes for International Telegrams. I have the honour, by direction, to inform you that on the opening of the Pacific cable, when there will be a choice of the routes available for senders, my company propose to adopt the same route-indicator for messages from Australasia as is in use in Great Britain and other countries—viz., via Eastern. This will apply to traffic via Port Darwin, via Roebuck Bay, and vid Perth-Cocos, my company deciding which portion of such traffic shall pass by each route. In the case of a sender wishing to direct a message "vid Teheran" the route should be indicated as " vid Eascern Teheran." I shall be glad if you will make the above known to all your telegraph-offices. I have, &c, W. Warbbn, The Hon. the Postmaster-General, Wellington. Manager in Australasia.

No. 23. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension Company, Melbourne. Sir,— General Post Office, 'Wellington, 27th November, 1902. I have the honour to refer to your letter of the 24th ultimo, in connection with the use of route-indicators for messages from Australasia transmitted over your company's lines after the opening of the Pacific cable, and to inform you that the information conveyed therein has been communicated to this Department's offices. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. W. Warren, Esq., Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Melbourne.

No. 24. The Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, to the Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension Company, Melbourne. Sir, — General Post Office, Wellington, 19th February, 1903. I have the honour to inform you that in the printed advice of postal and telegraph alterations for February, 1903, issued by the Deputy Postmaster-General of South Australia, a copy of which has reached this office, the following notice appears : — " Government Telegrams. —The charge for British and Colonial Government telegrams, by the Eastern Extension route, between Australia and Great Britain has been reduced to Is. 7-J-d. per word." I should be glad if you would kindly inform me whether it is the intention of your company to apply the reduced rate to Government telegrams from New Zealand to Great Britain. The charge in that case from this colony would be Is. 10-Jd. per word in place of the present rate of 2s. As you are aware, the Pacific cable tariff is Is. 6Jd. for each word. I have, &c, W. Gray, Secretary. The Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Melbourne.

No. 25. The Manager in Australasia, Eastern Extension Company, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. (Telegram.) Melbourne, 2nd March, 1903. From first instant British and Colonial Government rate between New Zealand and Great Britain one and sevenpence-halfpenny per word via Eastern.

No. 26. The Manages in Australasia, Eastern Extension Company, Melbourne, to the Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Sir,— Melbourne, 3rd March, 1903. 1 have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 19th ultimo respecting the rate for Government telegrams " vid Eastern." In reply, I beg to inform you that the matter has been receiving attention, and as advised you in my service message of the 2nd instant the rate for British and Colonial Government messages between New Zealand and Great Britain " via Eastern " has been reduced to Is. 7-J-d. per word from Ist instant.

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