The Direct Mail Contract.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 81, 20 December 1884, Page 6

The Direct Mail Contract.

A Government "Gazette" published last week contains the full text of the agreement between the Government and the New Zealand Shipping Company for the monthly mail service to England, alternating with the San Francisco service. The chiet provisions of the contract aave already been published, but several clauses of an important kind are deserving of mention, though not included in the former summary of the 4.3 clauses of tho document. Thus "clause 16 provides that if during the continuance of the contract the Company shall avail itself of any route across or through the Isthmus of Darien, at or near Panama, for the purpose of conveying the mails, then tho respective times for such conveyance shall be subject to revision, and euch shorter times substituted therefor as the Postmaster - General and the Company may agree to, and in default of such agreement the PostmasterGeneral may absolutely fix such shorter times." This stipulation shows a wise forethought, and an honest desire to secure to the colony the benefit of the quickest possible mail communication with the Old World. Another stipulation not hitherto reported is that of clause 19, which provides that " so long as the efficient performance of this service hereby contracted for is not interfered with, the Company may carry maiis for any other country or colony at rates not less than those payable by the Postmaster-General hereunder, or such other rates as may, from time to time, be approved by the Postmaster General ; but the Company shall have no claim against the Postmastor-General,or the Government of New Zealand, to any postage or to any money on account thereof for mail carried in any vessel employed undei this contract, or on account of any services rendered except as herein specially agreed to be paid." The effect of this clause is to offer the inducement of enhanced profits to the contractors in the event of their running such a fast service as to induce other colonies to send the mails by the New Zealand direct steamers. Of course, when the Panama Canal is opened our mail steamers will be able to deliver letters much quicker than by the Cape route, and as the Canal dues will add to the cost of the trip, it is not unreasonable that the contractors should have the liberty to augment their earnings by undertaking toe carriage of other mails. It is further provided that should the Company fail to commence or to carry on the contract, they shall forfeit the sum of £7,500 as liquidated damages ; but of this ever requiring enforcement there is, we believe, not even a remote probability, but the prospects are that the service to be inaugux-ated on the 20th of this month will be faithfully performed, to the advantage both of the colony and of the contractors.