OFF TO CANADA.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 213, 2 June 1908, Page 7

OFF TO CANADA.

SIR JAMES MILLS TO MAKE THE TRIP,

THE VANCOUVER SERVICE.

Sir Jaimes'.Mills, managing director of tlio .Union Steam Ship Company; proceeds to Canada next week. He leaves Auckland on June ;10 to join the Marama at Suva, and expects to be absent from the' Dominion for sevoral months. During his absence his duties as managing director, of tho Union Steam Ship Company mil bo undertaken by Mr.- Holdsivorth, the general manager. ,Mr. D. A. Aiken (inspector) and Mr. V. Johnson (manager for Tasmania) liavo been appointed assistant. general managers, and will bo associated with Mr. Holdsworth in directing the i affairs of the company from tho head office. 'Assuming that Sir James Mills's • visit to Canada is on business connected, with' the Vancouver service, it would not bo inap-. propnate to''rehearse tho present position ,of the Union-Company:and.the-colonies in respect, to that scrvice. Tho bost resume 0 .position "was given recently by -Mr. Chapman,- Postmaster-General of tho Commonwealth, -wlio said in the courso of a speech: ','Wo.-have,completed arrangements with tho Union Steam Ship Company for tlio..renewal.-of;..the existing contract with that Company lor tho carriage of mails be-tween-'Sydney Vancouver. The agree-ment-is,for-an extension of two years from July 31. . The subsidy,, route, and general conditions are tho same as provided by the present contract, subject to special conditions agreed to, namely, the contract to be terminable, at the end of the first-year- at the option of the Government, upon four, months' notice of tho intention to do so being given; the Company to replace the steamer. Miowera,; by another steamer in March next, tho steamer, replacing-her to reduce the time of the voyage by twentyfour- hours; a .second new steamer to replace ono., of'tlio present, vessels between - March- and-''July,.M9oß, also reducing" the timo by twenty-four hours ; and during the same period in 1909, if the contract bo renewed .'beyond, July, 190S, a third fast steamer to bo put on the. line. Arrangements . wero made ill London between the parties concerned for tho renewal of. tho contract on these terms; but, as a matter of. course, tlio Governments of Canada: and Fiji, and other contributing countries, 1 are being informed of the \ action being 'taken, and- formally--asked, to express-their concurrence. Tho present subsidy is £66,000 per annum,;, contributed as follows: Canada, £3r,000; Australia, £26,626; Fiji, £2282.'' Sinco the above speech was delivered,' tin Miowera. (Maitai) has been replaced by-tin Marama. .