THE SAN FRANCISCO CONTRACT.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 223, 9 May 1872, Page 5

THE SAN FRANCISCO CONTRACT.

This message is forwarded by the hon. the Postmaster, with a view to its being published for general information. 'Ihe following are the leading provisions of the contract eutered into between Victoria and Mew Zealand on the one side, and Messrs Webb and Ha liday on the other : — The contractors are to provide a fourth boat in every respect equal to the Nevada, Nebraska, and Dacotah. If the fourth boat is+ specially built for the service by Mr Webb, then for a period of eight mouths a vessel such as the City of Adelaide or the Albion may be used. The employment of 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 Au kland, a id tbere receiving the .New Zealand mails, passengers, and freight. The boat performing the d->wn trip will proceed through from .Sau Franc sco to Port Chalmers, calling at Auckland and other poits as ab present At Auckland this Victorian mails, etc., will be transhipped to the boat waiting there, and she will proceed direct to Melbourne. Thus the steamer from i-ian Fraucisco will always pro 'eed throngh to r'ort Chalmers ; and the b'>at fr>m Melbourn will aiwavs proceed through to San Francisco The boat which has last arrived at Port Chalmers from Sau Francisco will proceed up the coast to Auckland collecting mails, etc., and trans-shipping them at Auckland to the boat ca'ling there on her way from Melbourne to San Francisco. The boat from Port Chalmers will wait at nd until the arrival of the next vessel from San Francisco, and she will then receive Victorian mails, &c, and proceed to Melbourne. By this arrang' ment each r>f the four bortts will, in her turn, make the round voyage from San Franoisco to Auckland and other New Zealand Forts back to Auckland, thence to Melbourne and to San Franrisco by way of Auckland. Victoria having the through service on the np route instead of the down is to pay L 5.000 more than New Zealand, and New Zealand L 27.500. In respect to 1/4,500 of the extra payment by Victoria, it is agreed that amount shall be made a preferential charge on the amount of any subsidies from other Colonies which may be divisable between Victoria and New Zealand. Ihe subsidies from other Colonies are to be thus dealt with, afttr the payment;, if any, for branch steamers. One third of the amount will be givea to the contractors ; Victoria will receive the L 2.500 just mentioned, and the sum remaining will be equally divided between Victoi ia and New Zealand. Ihe 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 Representatives. The precedeut of the contract between the Imperial Government and the Peninsula and Oriental Company has been followed on this pomt — that contract only providing that, before its coming into effect, it shonld receive the approval of the House of Commons. Subj ct to the ratification stated, the new San Francisco contract will come into force in September next, and will continue tor eight years and a halt. In other words, during the unexpired teun 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, through their respective agents, apply to the Imperial Government for aid to the amount of one-half the subsidy the two X olonies are to pay to the contractors, and that i whatever amount may be received as such aid, will be divided amongst the Coloi nies contributing to the service, in proportion to the sums respectively paid by them.