VANCOUVER MAIL SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 93, 13 January 1908, Page 6

VANCOUVER MAIL SERVICE

CANADIAN OABLE NOT ■ UNDERSTOOD. ; STATEMENT BY i THE PREMIER. On Saturday it was cabled that Sir Wilfrid Laurier had stated the Canadian Government had "renewed tho contract for the carriage of mails botweon Vancouver' and Australia by tho Union Steamship Company of Ntiw Zealand"; and that "the Government requested acceptance of these terms by Now Zealand, but had received no reply." . Inquiry at the Post Office on Saturday elicited that no such communication had boon received from tho Canadian Government, and the message was not understood. Questioned last night, tho Premier (Sir Joseph Ward) said ho intended cabling.to Sir Wilfrid Laurier to-day statins that no such communication as that referred to had been received by Now Zealand. "In addition to tho fact that we have not recQived this communication," said the Premier, , "we are not partiis to the contract referred to, and there is no concurrencc necessary \excopt as a matter of courtesy. I assume thoro lias been somo mistake in the cable." The contract, he added, was entirely between tho Victorian Govornment and the Union Company. We gavo no contribution for the reason that tho scrvicc did not como to this country. " Tho service referred to," concluded the Premier, "has nothing to do with the proposed All Red route which I j and Sir Wilfrid Laurier are advocating." '