21

F.—6a

VANCOUVER SERVICE.

No. 85. The Secretary, Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, to the Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington. Commonwealth of Australia, Sir, — Postmaster-General's Department, Melbourne, 6th June, 1906. With reference to my letter of the 9th March last [No. 44, F.-6, 1906] respecting your desire that you be furnished with copies of the agreement for the renewal of the contract for the carriage of mails between Australia, Fiji, and Canada, I have the honour to forward herewith, for your information, a typewritten copy of the document in question. I have, &c, Robt. T. Scott, Secretary. The Acting-Secretary, General Post Office, Wellington, New Zealand.

Enclosure in No. 85. Articles of Agreement made and entered into this tenth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and six, between the Honourable Littleton Ernest Groom, the Minister of State for the Commonwealth of Australia for the time being, acting for and on behalf of the Postmaster-General of the said Commonwealth (hereinafter referred to as the " Postmaster-General," and herein contracting in his official capacity as Posmaster-General for and on behalf of the said Commonwealth, and not so as to incur any personal liability), of the one part, and the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), an incorporated company carrying on business in the Commonwealth and elsewhere (hereinafter referred to as the " Contractors ") of the other part: Whereas by two several agreements, dated respectively the fifth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and ninetynine, and the fifteenth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and ninety - nine (copies of which are annexed hereto and marked with the letters "A" and "B " respectively), Messrs. Burns, Philp, and Company (Limited) contracted to provide, establish, and carry on a mailservice under and subject to the terms, covenants, and conditions contained in the said agreements between the City of Sydney, in the State of New South Wales, the City of Brisbane, in the State of Queensland, and the City of Vancouver, in the Province of British Columbia: And whereas by an agreement dated the thirtieth day of October, one thousand nine hundred and three, made between the Postmaster-General of the Commonwealth of the one part, and the Contractors of the other part (a copy of which is annexed hereto and marked with the letter " C "), it was agreed that the said agreements dated the fifth day of June, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, and fifteenth day of August, one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, should be extended for a further period of two years from the first day of May, one thousand nine hundred and three, on the terms and subject to the conditions and covenants set out in the said agreements in all respects as if the said agreements had originally been made to expire on the first day of May, one thousand nine hundred and five, save and except that the amount of subsidy to be paid under the said agreements was increased from and after the first day of May, one thousand nine hundred and three; and it was further agreed that the expression " Postmaster-General " in the said agreements should mean the Postmaster-General for the time being of the Commonwealth, and the expression "Contractors" therein should mean the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand (Limited), or its assigns: And whereas the said agreements (hereinafter referred to as the " three first-named agreements ") have expired: And whereas the Contractors have agreed to carry on the said mail-service on the terms and subject to the conditions and covenants set out in the said three first - named agreements in all respects for the period of three months between the first day of May, one thousand nine hundred and five, and the thirty-first day of July, one thousand nine hundred and five: And whereas the Contractors have further agreed to carry on the said mail - service on the terms and subject to the conditions and covenants set out in the three first-named agreements for a further period of one year from the first day of August, one thousand nine hundred and five, in all respects as if the said three first-named agreements had originally been made to expire on the thirty-first day of July, one thousand nine hundred and six, save and except the further increased subsidy hereinafter mentioned to be paid from and after the first day of August, one thousand nine hundred and five, and the right to a further extension for one year : Now, this agreement witnesseth that in consideration of the premises it has been agreed between the Postmaster-General, for himself and his successors in office, and the Contractors for themselves and their assigns, as follows: — 1. That the Contractors shall carry on the mail-service specified in the said three first-named agreements for one year and three months from the first day of May, one thousand nine hundred and five, and shall observe and perform all conditions and covenants in the said three first-named agreements, and this agreement on their part to be observed and performed.