MAIL CONTRACT.

The Adelaide Steamship C.o.'s contract mail

service. S.s. Koombana under 1910 to 1913 

contract.

Serious trouble has occurred on

board the s.s. Koombana, belonging

to the Adelaide Steamship Company,

Ltd., which is the subsidised mail

boat for the Nor'-West ports, and

yesterday, it assumed such dimensions 

that instead of the Koombana

leaving for the Nor'-West last night

her sailing has been postponed indefinitely.

Fix this texfinitely.

Mr. Moxon:

"The contractors are liable to a fine of £5 per

hour if the mail steamer should run late and 

a satisfactory explanation is not given."

There is no doubt in my mind that this crucial factor contributed to Captain Allen making the hesitant decision to venture out into a troubled sea, 20 March, 1912. If he had elected to stay in port and the cyclonic event did not materialize as was alleged to have occurred a fortnight previously, the Adelaide Steamship Company might have been liable for this quoted £5 per hour fine. Surely this implies that the Federal Government contributed to the making of the disaster.

courtesy Trove.