POSTAL SERVICE.

Dunstan Times, Issue 525, 10 May 1872, Page 2

POSTAL SERVICE.

We are indebted to the Government for tlie following telegram:— Auckland May 2. This message is forwarded by the Hon the Postmaster-General, with a view to its being published for general information:— San Francisco Contract.—The following are the leading provisions of the contract entered into between Victoria and New Zealand on the one side, and Messrs Webb and Holladay on the other: -The Contractors are to provide a fourth boat in every respect equal to the Nevada. Nebraska, and Dacotali If the fourth boat is specially built for the service by Mr Webb, then for a period of eight months a vessel such as the City of Adelaide or the Albion may bo used. The employment/)! four boats will enable the following arrangement to be carried out:— The boat performing the up trip will proceed through from Melbourne to San Francisco, calling at Auckland, and there receiving the New Zealand mails, passengers and freight. The boat performing the down trip will proceed through from San Francisco to Port Chalmers, calling at Auckland and other ports as at present At Auckland the Victorian mails, &c., will be transhipped to the boat waiting there, and she will proceed direct to Melbourne. Thus the Steamer from, San Francisco will always proceed through to Port Chalmers and the boat from Melbourne will always proceed through to San Francisco. The boat which has last arrived at Port Chalmers from San Francisco will proceed up the coast to Auckland, collecting the mails, &c. and transhipping them at Auckland to the boat calling thereon her way f i omMelbourne to San Francisco The boat from Port Chalmers will wait at Auckland until the arrival of the next vessel from San Francisco and she will then receive the Victorian mails <oc., ami proceed to Melbourne. By this arrangement each of the four boats will in her turn make the round voyage from San Francisco to Auckland and other New Zealand ports back to Auckland and thence to Melbourne and San Francisco by way of Auckland Victoria having the through. service on the up route instead of the down is to pay 50001. more than New Zealand, the respective payments being—Victoria 32,5000; and New Zealand, 27,5001. In res pect of 25001 of the extra payment by Victoria, it is agreed that that amount shall he madea preferential charge on the amount of any subsidies from other Colonies which may he divisible between Victoria and New Zealand to subsidies from othercoloniesare to be thus dealt with after the payment, if any' for a branch steamer; —One-third of the amount will be given to the Contractors;. Victoria will receive the' 25001, just' mentioned and the sum remaining will be equally divided between Victoria and New Zealand. The contract is not to come into operation until it-has been approved of by the Victorian Legislative Assembly, and by the New Zealand House of Representat’ves The precedent of the contract between the Imperial Government and the Peninsular and Oriental Company has been followed on this point that contract only providing that before its coming into effect it should receive the approval of the House ■ of Commons. Subject to the ratification stated, the now San Francisco contract will come into force in September next, and will continue for eight years and a half. In other worr.s, during the unexpired term of the existing contract the latter will remain in full force until the new arrangement comes into operation as described. It is understood that, if Mr. Webb obtains the subsidy from the United States Government he will build four new boats specially for the line. It is also understood that the Governments of Victoria and New Zealand will jointly, through their respective Agents-Gcneral, apply to the Imperial Government for aid to the amount of one-half the subsidy the two Colonies am to pay to the Contractors, and that whatever amount may bj received as such aid will he divided amongst the Colonies contributing to the service, in proportion to the sums respectively paid by them.