THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Timaru Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 3384, 1 August 1885, Page 3

THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

(By Telegraph.) Wbllinoton, July 31. In the Houso of Representatives this afternoon, tho Hon. Sir Julius Yogel made known tho conditions for the now mail contract between Auckland and San Francisco, from which the following is an extract : — "The service is to be one way m every four weeks, with a branch serrico between Auckland and such portion of Australia fts may hereafter bo ngreod upon, for a period not exceeding thrco years from the commencomont of tho service. The mails to be carried will bo nil such- mails as the Postmaster-General may from lime to time require the contractors to carry to and from suoh Australian ports, Auckland, and San Francisco and the intermediate port of Honolulu m the Sandwich Islands. The service between Auckland and San Francisco to be performed by two vessels, each being a good, substantial and efficient screw steam vessel of the first class, and fully equal to class 100 Al m lAoycCt Register, and of not less than 2500 of registered tonnage The service between Sau Francisco and Auckland to bo performed m 18 days or four hundred and thirty-two hours each way ; tho branch service between Auckland and Australia to bo performed m not moro than five days, and by such vessels as may from time to time be approved of by tho Postmaster-General. One twenty-sixth part of tho subsidy will bo paid by tho "PostmasterGeneral on tho completion of tho convoyanco of each mail to or from Auckland and such Australian ports, and will bo paid at Wellington. If any vessel shall not bo at tho port of departure from time to timo m duo time and ready to perform tho servico, a sum of £250, and a further sum of £50 every day, is to bo pnid by the contractors or may bo deducted by the PostmssterGeneral as liquidated and ascertained damage? j but ho may remit or reduce these siims if satisfied that tho default shall havo arisen from causes over which the contractors had no control. A bonus of £5 will bo paid by tho Postmaster-General for tho delivery of the mails at Auckland or San Francisco, as tho case may be, for orory hour beforo tho contract time, and a ponalty of £i an hour will be deducted for late delivery. All subsidies obtained from other countries than Great Britain and her colonies or any of the Polynesian islands for the conveyance of mails nro to belong to tho contractors, if made under arrangements approved of by tho Postmaster-General. The vessel must bo provided with a safe and convenient place of deposit for the mails, with locks and keys of secure fastening. During the timo a ressol may stay at any port except Auckland or San Francisco ths mail oflicors agents and assistants are to be allowed to remain on board and aro to bo victualled by tho contractors, who are not to pay light, pilotage, tonnago or harbor dues at Auckland. Tho contractors aro to bind themsolves to pay to the Postmaster-General tho sum of £20,000 by way of liquidated damages m case they shall fail to commence tho sorvico, or, having commenced it, shall wilfully refuse or neglect to carry on tho aamo. Tho contractors shall, if required, enter, with two sureties to bo approved of by the Postmaster-General, into n" joint (and several) bond m tho sum of £20,000. Any disputes which may nriso between tho PostmasterGeneral and the contractors to bo subjcot to reference. Tenders nrc to bo delivorod at tho office of tho Agon t- General, London ; the office of tho Bosident Agent of tho Now Zealand Po9t Oflico, San Francisco, and at tho Goneral Po3t Offico, Wellington, on or beforo tho 20th of August, 1885."