(No. 75.), 18 9 4. PARLJAM-ENT OF TASMANIA. POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH CONFERENCE : REPORT OF DELEGATES ATTENDING THE CONFERENCE:. HELD IN NEW ZEALAND IN MARCH, 1894. Presei1ted to both Houses of Parliament hy His Excellency's Cominamt REPORT OF THE POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH CONFERENCE HELD IN NEW ZEALAND IN MARCH, 1894. H:CLUDING REPORTS OF PROCEEDINGS, REPORTS OF PERMANENT HEADS OF POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENTS, AND · PAPERS LAID BEFORE THE CONFERENCE. ----, POSTAL AND TELEG·RAPH, CONFERENCE, 1894. REPORT OF DELEGATES ATTENDING THE TNTERCOLONIAL POSTAL AND TELEGRAP~ CONFERENCE HELD IN NEW ZEA.LA.ND IN MARCH, 1894. All the colonies were represented. The Conference sat Oll' the 5th, 6th, 7th, and 8th March at Wellington, and on the 19th March at Auckland. The principal resolutions agreed to were as follows :- POSTAL SERVICE. CANADIAN PACIFIC MAIL-SERVICE. That this Conference is favofrrable to a four-weekly service (alternating with the San Francisco service) between Australia, New Zealand, and Vancouver, the ;mail-steamers calling at one Tiain port in New Zealand and such ports in Australia as may be determined upon. SAN FRANCISCO MAIL-SERVICE. That, in the opinion of this Conference, it is desirable that a four-weekly sei·vice via -San Francisco be continued, and that strong representations be again made to the United States Government, pointing out the inadequate support given to the service by them, and urging for an increased payment in support of the line; and that further representations be made to obtain a reduction in the heavy overland charges. OCEAN MAIL-SERVICE. That this Conference agrees to i.ihe extension of the present Federal mail­ contracts with the Peninsular and Oriental and Orient Companies for a period of one year from the 31st January, 1895. PENNY POSTAGE FROM GREAT BRITAIN TO AUSTRALASIA. That, with regard to the proposals from time to time made for penny postage between Great Britain and the colonies, and more recently that such be adopted for letters from the _United Kingdom, leaving the rate from the colonies as at present, this Conference, while recognising the desirableness of adopting the lowest possible rates, desires to express the opinion that the heavy cost of providing speedy and regulai' communication does not admit of any further reduction being made at the present time, the reduction to 2½d. in 1891 having resulted in an annual loss to the coloLies of about £40,000; and that the partial Teduction proposed- namely, in the :::ate from Great Britain - would be most undesirable, as such a measure would compel the colonies to reduce their inland and intercolonial rates from 2d. to lcl., involving a probable loss to them of a quarter of a _million per annum, in addition to that already mentioned as the. result of the reduction to 2½c1,; and tlIBt a copy of the foregoing be transmitted to the Imperial Government. ' POSTAL UNION CONGRESS. That the question of the appoinument of a delegate to attend the PostaJ 1J nion Congress at its next meeting be postponed. 11 RACING LOTTERIES. That the representatives at this Conference recommend their various Governments, as far as possible, to put a stop to the transmission and delivery of letters promoting racing lotteries. TELEGRAPH SERVICE. CANADIAN PACIFIC CABLE. That, considering the important interests involved, both of a national and ~ommercial ·character, in the establishment of a Pacific cable, 'the representa­ tives of the respective colonies assembled at this Conferenqe recommend their Governments to consider the desirability of entering into a guarantee with the other countries interested, for a period not exceeding fourteen years, and to guarantee interest at 4 per cent. on a capital of not more than £1,800,000 to any company undertaking the laying ·of a Pacific cable ; the tariff not to exceed 3s. per word for ordinary telegrams, 2s. per word for Government telegrams, and ls. 6d. per word for Press telegrams, to and from Great Britain and the colonies; and that the United Kingdom be asked to join in the guarantee; the routes to be either of the following : Brisbane to Ahipara Bay (New Zealand), Ahipara Bay to Suva, Suva to Apia, Apia to Fanning Island, Fanning Island to Sandwich Islands, Sandwich Islands to Vancouver: or, from New Zealand to Suva, Suva to Apia, Apia to Fanning Island, Fanning Island to Sandwich Islands, Sandwich Islands to Vancouver. MISCELLANEOUS. INTERCOLONIAL TARIFF. That the delega~es to this Conference, recognising the value of decisions arrived at in reference to joint postal and telegraph services, by periodical meetings of representatives from the various colonies, would suggest to their respective Governments that similar advantages in reference to trade relations between the respective colonies in the direction of reciprocity would ensue ir. similar conferences could be arranged to deal with questions in connection with intercolonial tariff. HOUR-ZONE TIME SYSTEM. That it is desirable in the public interests tha·t the hour-zone system should be adopted as far as practicable in Australasia. · That the mean time be the 120th meridian in Western Australia, the 135th meridian in South Australia, the 150th meridian in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania, and the 17 5th meridian in New Zealand. ELECTRICAL. That a vote of thanks be accorded to the committee of experts, and that they be requested to complete their labours by reporting on electric tramways and drafting regulations in regard to electric-power leads generally. REPORTS OF HEADS OF POSTAL AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENTS. Reports upon subjects of detail connected with postal and telegraph matters, upon future Federal mail-contracts, and upon the Australasian Postal Convention were laid before the Conference, and agreed to with amendm_ents. Other minor matters were_ considered, for which see minutes of proceedings. Attached to this report will be found~ . Minutes of proceedings, aud an Appendix, containing reports, papers, and statistics laid before the Conference. · · Sjgned on behalf of- . New Zealand, J. G. WARD ... New So.uth Wales, JOHN KIDD. Victoria, AGAR WYNNE. South Australia, JOHN ALEXANDER COCKBURN. Queensland, W. HORATIO WILSON . .Tasmania, J. G. WARD. Western Australia, STEPHEN H .. PARKER. INDEX. [Numbers refer to Proceedin§S, Letters to the. Appendices.] Pages. REPORT OF DELEGATES 4/te·r Title. Address of the Honourable the President 1-2 Adjournment 3, 11, 13, 22, 33 Adjournment, Special 22 Appendices. (Jfor list of contents see inside title-page). Appointment of President . • • 1 Appointment of Secretary and Acting-Secretary 2,22 Auckland Harbour Board Correspondence 31 Australasian Postal Convention 25, 3(} Australasian Postal Convention Draft, Appendix C xv Brisbane Mail-train Service , , • ·. 31 Business of Postal Conference, how conducted 33 Canadian-Pacific Cable, Resolutions relative to 11, 13 Canadian-Pacific Cable, Papers relative to. Appendix G xxxi Canadian-Pacific Mail-service, Resolutions relative to 7, 8, 9 Canadian-Pacific Mail-service, Papers relative to, Appendix F .• xxix Coloured Labour on Mail-steamers .. 7, 20· Coloured Labour, Papers relative to. Appendix K li Commissions of Postal Conferen.ce Delegates 2 Coote, Hon. Audley, Remarks on the Ne·w Caledonian CablE, Appendix G xxxviii Congress, Postal Union, Delegate to the next •• 1(} Correspondence relating to Conference Business, how conduJted 33, Divisions · 18, 21 Federal ]\fail-service Papers. Appendix D xxii Federal Mail-service via Suez, Extension of Contract •• 4, 5, 6, 7 Federal Mail-service, Conditions of Contract to be revised 10 Federal Mail-service, Conditions for fresh Tenders .to be setiled 12; Federal Mail-service Conditions, laid on the Table, considerEd, and amended 15-22 Federal Mail-services. Appendix D uiv Federal Mail-service, Question asked regarding the •• 31 Fiji, Representation of 10- Fiji, Representation of, Papers relative to the. Appendix H xli Fleming, Mr. Sandford: Cable Scheme, and Memorandum thereon. Appendix G xxxi Hour-zone Time System, Resolution 26 Hour-zone Time System, Papers relative to, Appendix I xliii Intercolonial Tariffs, Resolution 12 Melbourne, Next Postal Conference to meet at 33 New Caledonian Cable. Appendix G xxxviii Newspapers in Bulk Parcels • • • , 13 Newspapers, Postage Rates. Appendix E xxvii New Zealand Telegraph Business. Appendix J , . 1 Papers laid on the Table. (See also table of contents of Appendices, inside title-page) .. 2, 3, 7, 9, 11, 13, 2'& Postal and Telegraph Conference, 1893, Papers relative to, Appendix E • • . :irxv Postal and Telegraph Conference, next Meeting • . , •• · 33 Postal and Telegraph ·Conference, Motion relati,e to Correspondence withdrawn 3 Postal and Telegraph Conference, Business, how conducted b future 33 Postal Union Congress, D"elegate to the next 10 President, Hon. the, Address by the 1 President, Hon . .the, appointed 1 President, Hon. the, Vote of Thanks to the 31 Press, Admission of the 1 Queensland Telegraph Statistics. Appendix J xlix. Report of Heads of Departments. Appendix B vi Report of Heads of Departments considered 22-30 Report of Heads of Departments: Australasian Postal Conve:::ition 25, 3(} Report of Headg of Departments: Electric Tramways and Light Power 25 R-eport of Heads of Departmentg: Hour-zone Time-system 25 Report of Heads of Departments : International Messages, Delay in 3E> Report of Heads of Departments: Miscellaneous 25 Report of Heads of Departments : Ocean l\fails 22 Report of Heads of Departments: Parcel Post 24 Report of Heads of Departments: Penny Postage