THE VANCOUVER MAIL SERVICE.

Nelson Evening Mail, 19 October 1905, Page 2

THE VANCOUVER MAIL SERVICE.

(Press Associfttior .— By Telegrapb. — Copyrignt.) MELBOURNE, Oct. 18. In the Federal House, Mr Chapman moved in fjyvour ol the extension of the Vancouver mail contract to July 31st, 1906, with a proviso that if nviuaer party gives not less than three months notice of terminafioa prior to the lattor date, the ooutract continue until July 31, 1907 ; the amp,unt of the suibsiidy payable py thp Commonwealth IQ be ftt the annual rate of £83,863 Irom May to the en d' of July, and at the rate oi £26,626 fiom A|u_£ust, the difference between the two . amounts teing tht; Commonweal.Ji proj>ortion of the total increase of -£6000. It is stated that the New Zealand PostuiasterGenJral has pccenUy 'announced tnut Jiis Government is willing to IJ-uy a subsidy of £20,000 if Vancouver steianieis called there instead of Brisbane, and that the Company is willintg in that ooao to reduce the Commonwealth subsidy to £20,0Qfl for ten years. I',r1 ', ro P 1 ft purely postal point of \Tspny, the Common wealth was paylaU' aibout £23,000 more than it would cost to sand the mails aL poundajgo rates. It wfais to a large extent a tradt> subsidy, but unfor-tuiaa-tely. the trade bel\yee^ Oaj^ad^ and Au-str^Ji**,, w&s decre^siflg, and undfer tl^e ne>Y coiftract there : wquld L b*e n:p improvement in speed, and rip dhango except tlw inoreased subsidy, Fiom a postal point the line was erf vfery little value, biit as •to all-red route . there naturally was a sientiment in favour of roteuihin^ it and keeping) up intercommunication with other parts of uho Empire. Its trade value had proved disappointing, but with larger steamers, better facilities, and higEer speed, great development might take place. Mr Watson thicraghi; -.-hat in view of the falling trade it was very doubtful whether tihe am-v-iee -should be con'timidd. The preasat s-uibfeidv subtly m the value of our exP uL ,*°-' The matter called for serioiup investigation M<sssrs Knox amd J. Cook urged OW! Government to maike efforts to mcrea-aa thi trade wiith Canada. Tto motion was adopted on tho voices.

(Received 9.2 A.m.) I ■- • .-. MELBOURNE. Oct. 19. £» trie course of tho debate in the Federal BeiUse on the Vancouver mail service, Mr Chapman, Post-masfer-Genera.l, said the Commonwealth subsidy would be £26,626. He -quoted figures to show that imports from Canada had decreased from - £353,000 tei ,1903 to -£222,000 in 1904, and the expcu'ta tp Canada Had decreased from £68.000 in, 1900 to £29,000 in [ 1904. The mall matter carried from Australia by the Vancouver Line in 1904 was 88-QOO lbs., and two-ftfthfe of it wont to the Unit***! States, whfile 80,000 ibs, were>a^ iied ovitS ricd on the San Francisco. Line Mr Sydney Stai-ith, late Posfcinasjter General, explained that whe« the trouble with the Orient Company occurred he thought it posS£S X Z ? I *?&*■ a great improve •■?S?Jr *? , J Vaavcouver service, to S«t ™ pl^. '<* th<? ° pient C*»nicT&w n C oo U ? ,on , CQT,I!?a ' Wy ' w^ m^^l far i -* Wft J**"*.' and required yean, to. make provis-je'-i for w-Tw sq-ia-mei-s. This was im,T>ract.Tcabl-3, and then whin- the » : yi steion of rcn»:twing ihe existtno cpMract' ; wa« discussed the ,Gomnamv asked ein increased subsidv-'oi £20,000. ; Eventually: th^vOom-Pn'-ay afcreed U rtecept: ah addit.kvnal £6000, and if • tha*, was net -Ti»n+ed t*e s^rvioi .would. \m 7fcbta*»i--dO""VeB7 . ■ •-.>.; ..." -