OCEAN MAIL SERVICES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2728, 27 June 1906, Page 24

OCEAN MAIL SERVICES.

*•• •- LONDON, June 22. The Orient Company is unaware of the truth of the Daily Chronicle's Melbourne correspondent's statement that the company has failed to secure the new mail contract, which, the correspondent asserts, lias gone to a new combination. June 21. The Federal Government lias practically completed negotiations for a new English mail contract. It is understood that neither the Peninsular and Oriental Company nor the Orient Company ha 6 secured the contract. Apparently a new line is about to enter the Anglo-Australian trade. June 22. After a Cabinet meeting, Mr Deakin stated that an English mail contract was on the verge of being signed. It is understood from other sources that it is practically completed. Final cable messages are being waited for from London. The names of the companies in the combination which, it is reported, has or will receive the contract are not stated. It is understood to have a capital of between three and four millions. In the Federal House of Representatives Mr Ewing, in reply to a question, said he knew from a conversation with Mr Deakin that it was intended to take the Shipping Commifision's report into consideration before accepting a tend-er for the Englibh mail contract. SYDNEY, June 21. An unconfirmed report from Melbourne states that the Federal Government has. signed an English mail contract with .1 poweiful shipping combination, which proposes to spend £4,000,000 and makespecial arrangements for tho carriage of Australian product". Captain Backnell, of the liner Pondo, which has ai lived at Newcastle, stated, in reference to the new Canadian-New Zealand service, that it had been arranged that this line, in addition to cargo, should carry mails, each country to pay a subsidy of £10,000 per annum. Th© new servicetrill probably include some Australian ports ,

if sufficient inducement offers. The steamers Pondo and Bucentor are taking up the running of the new line. The Pondo loads with bunker coal, and then proceeds to New Zealand. * , : .