THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXVI, Issue 36, 11 February 1905, Page 4

THE AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

A Cbaage in Policy. LONDON, February 10. The Federal Government of Australia has reopened negotiations with the Orient Company with a view to arranging terms for a mail service. The news that this lias been done has been received with gTeat satisfaction in SYDNEY, February 10. The statement in the cablegrams that the Federal Government has reopened negotiations with the Orient Company is not confirmed here. The announcement may he based on the fact that Mr. Kenneth Anderson, the de.puty-ehairrnan of the Orient Company, has arrived in Melbourne, and has had ;i conversation with the Postmaster-General. "~

A DEFENCE BY MR. JAMES.

(Received 9 a.m.) LONDON, February 10. Mr. James, Agent-General for West era Australia, in a letter to the "'Times," denied that tbe mail difficulty was the outcome of narrow and selfish provincialism, since tlie white labour conditioa was introduced in ordei> to affirm the importance of encouraging the employment of vrliite sailors in the British mercantile marine. [The London press has evidently obtained its information from the officials of the Orient Company, and it may therefore be jconsidered that the first news of a change of the Federal policy would come from London before it would be put forth by the Australian Government .$