NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXI, Issue 13343, 23 January 1904, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND PRODUCE.

THE WEST OF ENGLAND STEAM i SERVICE. United Press Association—By Elootrlo Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, January 21. With reference to Mr Seddon’s denial, London ship-owners assert -that German firms received precisely the sai.no private invitation to tender at precisely'the same time as themselves. The public invitation to tender was issued four days later. t A STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. The following telegram was received from Mr Seddon last night:—l desire to- inform you that the statement in the cable from London appearing in to-day’s papers to the effect that private intimation was given to German shipping companies four days before the service was publicly advertised is untrue. The advertisement ' appeared! in the New Zealand papers on December 24 last, and the instructions to the AgentGeneral to notify the shipping companies that the tenders were advertised here wore sent- on December 27.