DOMINION MAIL SERVICE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3316, 7 September 1911, Page 5

DOMINION MAIL SERVICE.

SAN FRANCISGO AMD VANCOUVER

PARTICULARS OH THE CONTRACTS

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 16. Particulars cf the contracts for the Vancouver and San Francisco mail services entered into between the Government and the Union Steamship Company were tabled to-day. The subsidy payable by the Government for one year’s service between Wellington, Auckland, Raratonga, Papeete, and ’Frisco is £21,666. The service was vo commence on October 19t.1i, 1910, and was to Ixi carried on by the steamers Aorangi an-d Maitai, or other vessels with cool storage capacity of no less than 100,000 cubic feet. There are to be 130 round voyages. Half the subsidy is payable by the Postal Department and half by the Department of Agriculture. In the event of the Vancouver service being established during the currency of the contract, and Auckland being included as a port of callboth ways, the agreement may be extended for two years, with Wellington as the outward and inward port-of call. The following are the principal items of the contract between the New Zealand Government and the Union Company in regard, to the Vancouver service : —The contract is to be for five years. The subsidy to be contributed by the New Zealand Government is £20,060 per annum, with exemption from harbor and dock dues; pennission to be given to the contractors to proceed from Auckland to Sydney or Melbourne, any sum contributed by the Commonwealth. The voyage between Vancouver and Auckland via Honolulu and Suva to be made in nineteen days, and New Zealand shippers to have the first refusal of all space for freights, so long as no subsidy is being paid by the Commonwealth Government. Arrangements were afterwards made for the the inauguration of the service from Auckland on August 4th, 1911, and from Vancouver on September; 6th, 1911. Half the subsidy will be paid by the Department of Agriculture. In the meantime there will be an interval of only one week between the departure! from New Zealand of the ’Frisco, and Vancouver steamers.