THE MAIL CONTRACT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2018, 1 March 1907, Page 3

THE MAIL CONTRACT.

MELBOURNE, Feb. 2S. A critical situation has arisen in connection with the new mail contract, embarrassing the mail syndicato and placing the Federal Government in a quandary. Mr. Clarke, representative of the syndicate, has asked the Commonwealth to guarantee one million and a quarter of debentures, to bo issued in London. The strenuous opposition which has been shown in London towards'the new syndicate lin3 apparently rosulted in its inability to sccuro all tlio capital required to carry on tho scheme; therefore the syndicate must either forfeit their £'15,000 deposit or seeuro the Commonwealth guarantee. The Government' do not wish to see the contract collapse, nor do they liko pledging tho credit of tho Commonwealth for such a large sum to help a private corporation, nor to fall back on tho lines of whose tenders they rejected. A loading member of tho Labor party says the syndicate has been blocked by a ring, and suggests that rather than tho Government' should enter into a guarantee, it should go a step further and embark on a nationalisation scheme, building its own line. He is certain the Labor caucus would not consent to the Government giving a guarantee as the Executive was asked to do. Received 9.25 p.m., Feb. 28. LONDON, Feb. 23. Tho Globe denies Mr. Chapman’s charges of conspiracy in connection with the mail contract. Shipping circles consider that tho syndicate has failed on its merits and the poor results obtained by the existing companies. The secretary of the Orient Company, in a letter to tho newspapers regarding Mr. Chapman’s allusion to tho syndicate being opposed by a shipping ring, says the nearest approach to a ring is the ordinary freight 1 conference whereof Mr. Potter (belonging to Laing’s syndicate) is a member. The attitude of this conference towards tho venture has been entirely impassive. The one real difficulty facing Laing was ' tho impression that tho contract would entail a heavy commercial loss.

ASSASSINS IN RUSSIA. Received 9.25 p.m., Feb. 2S. ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 28. The attempt on the life of the Grand Duke Nicholas has been officially confirmed. The criminal used a skeleton key to Tsarskoeselo station, and placed bombs on the rails three minutes before the Duke started. The Duke’s train was brought to St. Petersburg by another line. The Duke returned to Tsarskoeselo the same evening. The town commandant at Krinoyersk was shot dead in the street and the assassin escaped. Seventeen participators in the Tukum rising have been executed. Received 10.55 p.m. Feb. 28. ST. PETERSBURG, Feb. 28. The author of Tsarkoeselo attempt was a youth with a uniform of the Imperial Railway Engineers. He was seen escaping from the gate. He disappeared in a sleigh. The Czar will not now attend the Douma. His speech will be made by proxy. THE HET VOLK VICTORY. A REASSURING LETTER. Received 9.25 p.m., Feb. 28. PRETORIA, Feb. 28. General Botha, in a letter of thanks to the Hot Volk and the adherents of unity, expresses a hope that new legislative administration will promote the peace, prosperity, and contentment' of the entire population. He appeals for the co-operation of all. FATAL FIRE. OTTAWA, Feb. 27. Later accounts reduce t'he death rate at the Hochelaga fire. The total loss is 17. The absence of fire escapes was responsible for loss of life. A CAUSTIC CRITIC. UNIVERSITY AND BOXING SALOON. Received 11.6 p.m., Feb. 28. SYDNEY, Feb. 28. Mr. Holman, a member of the Assembly, in a speech, declared that from what he saw at Sydney University, too much attention was given to playing cricket', drinking beer and whisky, frather than to that learning which told for national greatness. So far as the University had any influence on national education, it might as well be a boxing saloon or beer shop.