CO129-319 - Governor Sir Blake - 1903 [10-11] — Page 718

Resolved

Seis.

711

The Committee have had before then the correspondence

with the Peninsular and Oriental Company resulting in two further offers in addition to Schemes 1 to 4 for the continu

ance of their service after 31 January 1905, viz:

(5) A service identical with the present but accelerated by

24 hours on the Bombay line, 48 on the China line, and

30 on the Australian line, with relaxation of penalties

on the homeward route as under Scheme 3, and 36 hours

Monsoon allowance for 5 years

for present subsidy.

(6) A service identical with the present but accelerated

throughout its whole extent by 24 hours, worked under present penalty clauses, but with 36 hours Monsoon

allowance, for three years, at £340,000 a year; for 5 years at the present rate of £330,000 a year; and for seven years, at £315,000 a year,

{

The Committee have also been informed that calculations

made at the Admiralty indicate £30,000 a year as the probabl cost to the Company of accelerating the service as conducted on the present lines by 24 hours in each direction. pe the Wm dixelgieces of Fiream in fultrer? wa

bei bod before

In view of the preference expressed by the Postmaster.

and of the Mith alreas is prevved General for Scheme No.1 in the Company's original offer, of

by film in havam 1 du so inson the objections of India to all but Scheme 3 in that offer, of

An 198 so a god i Wolle wich and the Eastern Colonies to Schene 3, and of the principle which

the Committee understands to have been settled between the

Postmaster General and the Secretaries of State that the apportionment of cost should be decided before either schem

youlis definitely accepted, the Committed recommends that the i reper question as between Schomos 1,

the Government for decision.

and 6 be now laid before