§ Sir I. Fraserasked the Assistant Postmaster-General how long 2d. air letter cards and ordinary surface mail, respectively, take from this country to New Zealand and vice versa; and if he will speed up this service.
§ Mr. Burke2d. Forces letters, as also 1s. 3d. per half ounce air mail, to New Zealand, addressed to recognised Forces addresses only, are forwarded all the way by air and until lately have taken about a fortnight from time of posting in this country to delivery. For letters to any address in New Zealand all-air transmission is accorded to 6d. air letters and, since the 7th November, to letters prepaid at 1s. 3d. per half ounce. Other classes of correspondence are forwarded by surface conveyance and take on an average about two months to deliver. Recent improvements have reduced air transmission times and much of the correspondence forwarded by air should now be delivered within 10 days of posting in this country. In the reverse direction transmission times1882W are slightly better, being about nine days by air and 7½ weeks by surface.