THE MAIL CONTRACT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13846, 8 March 1907, Page 5

THE MAIL CONTRACT.

• *&< 1 A REPLY TO SIR T. SUTHERLAND, STATEMENT JSY MR DEAKIN. Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright. LONDON, March 6. Mr J, w. Potter, director of the firm of 15irl, Potter, and Hughes, in a letter to the Shipping Gazette in reply to Sir T. Hutlierliiiui's remarks, says (lint it- is curious that the Orient- fj.S. Company slionJtl suggest that the mail contract wiil entail a heavy commercial loss, since the Orient Company itself offered to modify its rejected tender to supply a similar servico on nearly the same lenns as tho syndicate. As regards tho alleged impassivity of tho freight conference, Mr Potter savs that the Peninsular and Oriental and tho Orient Companies tried to make it otherwise, as they wrote to. tho chairman protesting against- Mr Potter's association with tho syndicate, but the matter dropped on tho confer--enco declining to interfere. Mr Potter unhesitatingly asserts that ever , since then there had been a concerted and organised campaign on the part of the American shipping combino and the Peninsular and the Orient Companies, which had used the whole weight of their' influence to cast- discredit on tho commercial soundness of tho ficbeme. i'r Potter adds that tho only fair criticism against the undertaking is that- it offers Inn much cargo accommodation, trat- with tho unprecedented increase m Australian trade no unprejudiced person will accept this as sound. Mr W. Taylor, secretary of tho Orient Company, in a letter to the newspapers,, denies Mr Potter's statement regarding an offer to modify its tender, also his remarks regarding the impassivity of the freight conference. He declares that the protest was not made against. Mr Potter associating himself with :i syndicate, but against his failing to inform his partners of tho fact. MELBOURNE, March 7. In the courso of a speech prior to his departure for London, Mr Dcakin stated that nothing would be wanting on the part, of tho Government to assist tho mail syndicate. The Government was prepared to ask Parliament- to reconsider tliOi situation,