F.—6

22

of the powers conferred upon him by " The Post and Telegraph Act, 1908," and for and on behalf of the Government of the said Dominion, of the one part, and the Union Steam Ship Company of New Zealand. Limited (hereinafter referred to as " the company," in which term their successors and permitted assigns shall be deemed to be included), of the other part : Witnesseth thai for and in considers lion of the covenants and agreements hereinafter contained on the part of the Post master General to lie performed the company doth hereby covenant and agree with the Postmaster-! leneral and his successors in manner and form and to the effect following, that is to say : 1. The Company shall establish and during a period of one year calculated from tin' third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and nine, continue to carry on in Ihe mai r hereinafter set forth a regular steamship service between the port of Wellington (New Zealand) and the port of Papeete (Tahiti), in the Society Islands, calling at the Island of Rarotonga (Cook Islands) on both outward and inward voyages from Wellington to Papeete and from Papeete to Wellington. 2. The steamers to be employed in the said service shall be approved by tin l Post master-General. and shall be of a gross tonnage of not less than two thousand tons, and be capable of maintaining an average speed between the ports of Wellington and Papeete and Papeete and Welling! »f not less than eleven and a half nautical miles per hour. 3. The round trip for the said service shall begin and end at the port of Wellington, New Zealand, calling at Rarotonga going and returning as aforesaid, and (he liisl voyage in performance ol this coil tract shall commence from Wellington aforesaid on the third day of January, one t housand nine hundred and nine. The period of each voyage from Wellington to Papeete and from Papeete to Wellington shall not exceed nine days, including the time of detention at Rarotonga. The number of voyages shall be ten per annum, the first of which shall begin on the third day of January, one thousand nine hundred and nine, as aforesaid, and the days of departure from and arrival al Wellington shall be so arranged, in accordance with a time-table to be submitted to and approved by the Post master-General, that the arrival and departure of the steamers at and from Papeete shall correspond with the arrival at and departure from Papeete from and to the port of San Francisco. In California, in the United Slates of America, of the steamers of the J. 1). Spreckels and Brothers Company (hereinafter called " the Spreckels Company"), trading between these two latter ports, in such manner as to allow of mails being transferred from such steamers arrived from San Francisco at Papeete to such steamers arrived from Wellington and rici' versa without loss of time. 4. The vessels employed under this contract shall each, according to its capacity, carry all the freight and passengers which may reasonably be offered or obtained at rates not exceeding those hereinafter set forth, that is to say : — passenger rates. To itml from Wellington and Rarotonga and Papeete. Rarotonga. Papeete. £ s. d. £ s. d. Saloon, single 11 0 0 14 10 0 „ return 18 5 0 24 5 0 Steerage, single .. .. .. .. ~ 610 0 8 0 0 i „ return 11 0 0 18 10 0 FREIGHTS. From Wellington to Rarotonga £'J per ton for all cargo, weight or measurement, including lighterage at Rarotonga. From Wellington to Papeete Wharf. £1 15s. per ton, weight or measurement. Minimum charge to Rarotonga and Papeete. 3s. (id. From Rarotonga and Papeete to Wellington. General cargo .. .. .. £1 15s. per ton, weight or measurement. Bananas .. •• ..In bunches, Is. per bunch; kits, containing not more than two bunches, Is. 6d. per kit. ( offee .. .. .. .. £2 per ton (2,240 lb.). Coeoanuts .. .. .- 2s. per sack. Copra .. .. .. .. £1 per ton (2,2401b.). Fruit, in cases .. .. .. £1 ss. per ton (40 cubic feel). Lime-juice .. .. .. £1 ss. per ton (40 cubic feet). Minimum charge from Rarotonga or Papeete to Wellington, 4s. 5. The Company shall during the continuance of this contract convey all mails of whatever country or place which the Postmaster General shall at any time require the Company to convey from the porl of Wellington or the intermediate port of Rarotonga to the port of Papeete, and shall deliver all such mails at their proper port or ports of delivery or destination : and for the due and proper performance of this contract the steamships shall be provided with sufficient and convenient accommodation and protection for all such mails whilst upon the said steamers from loss, damage, or injury in any way, and the Company shall be liable for any loss,or damage caused by the negligence or want of proper care or accommodation on the part of the said company or their agents or servants, or on the part of the officers or crew on board of the same steamships : Provided, however, thai in no case shall such liability exceed ten pounds (£10) for any one package.