FEDERAL PARLIAMENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13482, 5 July 1907, Page 5

FEDERAL PARLIAMENT.

THE MAIL CONTRACT.

STATEMENT BY MR DEAKIN.

By Telegraph.— Association.—

(Received July 4. 10.7 p.m.)

Melbourne, July 4. The House of Representatives lifts passed a month's supply.

Mr. Deakin, in reply to questions, said the Government had already taken steps to get the forfeited mail contract bond converted into cash. Now tenders, he said, would be called immediately, retainable in three months, and the Government would provide for % specific time for the building of steamers, ;.nd the penalty for failure to fulfil the contract would be double that in connection with the first contract. (Received July 5, 1.1. ft.ro.) Melbourne, July 4. Mr. Joseph Cook, Acting-Leader of th* Opposition, resumed the debate on the Ad-dress-in-Keply. Ho characterised the matter of the mail contract as " consummate bungling." The representative of the syndicate had had the loan of the Government for 12 months, he said. Dealing with the Imperial Conference, ho said the present relations with the Motherland were entirely satisfactory. What was to be gained by the new secretariate arrangement! Nothing could be more ludicrous than the Government's conduct in regard to the naval agreement. Very few people opposed the agreement, and there was no doubt that the Government majority wished to see it continued.

Sir Win. Lytic, replying, .'•aid no time would be lost in submitting the tariff proposal*. He defended the Government's action in connection with the mail contract,