PROM NEW ZEALAND TO GREAT BRITAIN IN THREE WEEKS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1395, 3 December 1884, Page 2

PROM NEW ZEALAND TO GREAT BRITAIN IN THREE WEEKS.

To the Editor.

Sir, —I believe that the quickest voyage on record from this colony to England was accomplished a few months since, in thirty-seven days, via the Strait of Magellan. How then is it to be accomplished in three weeks. A few remarks bearing more or less upon this subject will I think prove of interest to many of your readers. That the canal now in progress through the Isthmus of Panama will be successfully completed within some three or four years would appear to admit of very little doubt. The amount of money expended upon the the work—the most stupendous undertaking of modern times—will not now admit of its being abandoned. We have recently been informed that the Cunard s.s. Oregon left Queenstown and completed the crip to New York and back —a distance of 5,701 miles—in 12 days 21 hours 34 minutes. The time occupied in discharging cargo, lauding passengers, mails, etc, and in coaling for h r return trip, evidently cannot be included. If my estimate as to the relative distances is correct, Wellington via Panama is about threa times. as far from Plymouth as New York is from Queenstown. And as a calmer sea and liner weather may reasonably be expected when crossing the Pacific, than is usually experienced in the Atlantic, the only difference in this respect as regards time will be decidedly in favor of the voyage to and from New Zealand. It would appear that just now the attention of a very large number of people in the United Kingdom is drawn towarda.this colony, and as soon as the canal is open for traffic there ia every probability of a very large number of people visiting our shores from Europe' Who can doubt but that a very large proportion will remain, and be the means of inducing many of their friends to follow. If my views are sound, the probability is that the colony will make far more rapid strides ia the future than in the past. The frozen meat trade ia without doubt greatly aiding in making this colony better known to the British public. The population of Great Britain ia increasing at such a rapid rate, and this colony is fast becoming so favorably known to them, that a large secession to our population is almost certain to fol-

low upon the opening of the canal What person taking a thoroughly com

prehensive

view of the subject can

possibly doubt but that the voyage will be accomplished withiu the time named, immediately upon the opening o t the canal?" It would almost appear as if the great steamship companies of England have been striving who can build the most powerful vessel. We have been recently informed that the Cunard Oomp my have launched a vessel constructed of steel of 8,000 tons burden and 12,000 horse power ! She is expected to cross the Atlantic in six days ! Supposing it to be possible for the voyage to New Zealand t > be accomplished within the time mentioned, it will be interesting to enquire what effect it would have upon this colony ? It will be apparent to every thinking person that a largo portion of our moat accessible lands would soon be materially increased in value, and that our population would quickly become much more numerous. And it is almost certain that a further decline would take place in the value of most of the rural lands throughout Great Britain, because it is an undoubted fact that the great depreciation in the value of country land there is mainly owing to the opening of the Suez Canal; and to the immensely powerful steamers which have been constructed of late years, enabling the productions from nearly all parts of the globe to be landed in England at a comparatively small cost, and thereby reducing the value of English farm produce, and as an inevitable result, much of the agricultural laud of England has been reduced in value at least one-third. I believe I might venture to say about one-half in numerous cases. No doubt the great railway system extending so rapidly in many parts of the globe, and by means of wide.i productions of all kinds are cheaply brought to ports of shipment, have done quite as much to reduce the value of rural lands throughout England as the upeuiug of the Suez Canal, and the building of j those powerful steamers uow constantly traversing the ocean to nearly every great commercial port on the face of the globe. And, indeed, I nan see no reason why 1 travelling oa the ocean should not ap- i

proximate atill more closely to the speed attained on the land by means of rail trays. We have just been informed that “an unprecedented rate of -speed at sea has been obtained from the new Ounardec Umbria in a trial trip down the Olyde. She attained a maximum of twenty-four miles an hour.” Twenty years since, some twelve or fifteen miles per hoar would nave been considered fast steam-' ing. Who will venture to say whafc the next ten years will produce ? In a calm sea why not thirty miles per hour. It was Stephenson, the great engineer, who stated, before a Committee of the House of Commons, that he ibought it quite possible that a speed of thirty miles per hour could be obtained upon a railway. It is, 1 believe, no unusual thing now for an express train to travel at the rate of a mile in one minute. I repeat the question—Why not thirty miles per hour, when steaming over such an unruffled ocean as the Pacific ? If possible, then the rising generation will probably see the voyage from England to New Zealand accomplished in about eighteen days, or even less.—l am, etc.

J. 6. Williams, Mount Somers.