AUSTRALIAN MAIL CONTRACT

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 57, 8 March 1907, Page 3

AUSTRALIAN MAIL CONTRACT

THE IUVAL COMPANIES. London, March (i. ill' J. W. i'ottcr, director of the linn t>i Ji vt, Potter and Hughes, ill a letter to the Shipping Gazette in reply to iSir Thomas Sutherland, remarks that it ieurious the Uncut Company should suggest that the mail contract will entail heavy commercial loss, since the Orient Company themselves offered to modify their rejected tender and suplily a similar service on nearly the sauie terms. As regards the alleged impassivity of the Freight Conference, Mr l'otter says the Peninsular ami Oriental and the Orient Companies tried to make it otherwise, as they wrote to tiie chairman protesting against Mr Potter's association with tlic syndicate. The matter was dropped on the conference declining to interfere. Mr l'otter unhesitatingly asserts that ever since then there lias been a conceited organised campaign on the part of the Shipping Combine and the Peninsular and Orient Companies, who used the whole weight of their influence to cas': discredit on the commercial soundness of the scheme. Jlr Potter adds that the only fa r criticism against the undertaking is that it offers too much cargo accommodation, but in face of the unprecedented increase in Australian trade no unprejudiced person would accept this.

Mr \V. Taylor, secretary of the Company, in a letter to the newspapers, denies Mr Potter's statement regarding the I', and O. Co.'s offer to modify their teu i- i; al-o regarding the impassivity of ;he t're glil Conference. lie declares that a protest was nut made ngaiii»t -Mr Potter's associating with tlie syndicate lint against, his fa'l ng to inform hi- partners of the fact.

FEDERAL ASSISTANCE. jVleibou rue. 7. In a speech prior to his departnr for Knglnnd to attend the Imperial ConTencc, Mr Don kin (Federal Prenrer) stated that nothing Mould he wanting ')ii tli'* part, of tin- Goveiiimnit to assist tlie .Mail {Syndicate. Tin; Government was prepared to ask Pari amen: to reconsider the situation.