The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1887. RETRENCHMENT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1638, 17 August 1887, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 1887. RETRENCHMENT.

It is amusing to note the various behemes of retrenchment proposed" during the present electioneering campaign, and the facility with which proposals are put forward which are supposed unlikely to injuriously affect the district m which -they originate. Among the various plans for effecting large savings is the Ocean Mail Service. As our readers are aware, there are two — one via San Francisco, and the other per direct steamer. The boats employed m the former make Auckland the first port of call m the colony, and the final port of departure. The boats of the dual steamer service favor Wellington principally. At a time like the present, when suggestions with regard to retrenchment are far more numerous than feasible, and when everyone seems to be casting about for a victim to operate on, the direct mail service was not likely to escape. The people m Wellington proposed that the 'Frisco service should be discontinued when tbe present contract expires. The Auckland people not relishing thif proposal, suggest, on the approved Roland for an Oliver principle that the service per direct steamer should be disensed with.

We do not think that either of these schemes will be adopted. The direct service has commended itself to the mercantile community, and the regularity with which each branch of the service is conducted is something remarkable. Thanks to Sir Julius Yogel ; we pay little, if any more, for the double service now than we were paying the single San Francisco service a few years ago. There is a probability also of still more favorable term being obtained after the expiration of the present contract, owing to the enterprise of the Canadian Government m extending their commercial relations with the Australasian colonies. The Canadians seem to be imbued with the same ambitious spirit of excelling m all matters, which is so marked a characteristic of our American cousins. The present contractors, we fancy, will have as much as they can do to compete with such foundable rivalry for passenger traffic, and as for mail subsidies, we may expect them to be tendered for at the lowest rate consistent with immunity from actual loss. With regard to the direct steamer service, we consider the New Zealand Shipping Company are entitled to the highest praise for having placed at the service of the colony such a magnificent line of steamers. For long ocean passages they stand unrivalled for punctuality, their trips seldom varying more than a few hours, although the distance exceeds thirteen thousrnd miles. Their arrival may be depended upon as being between two and a half and three days before timetable date. The only source of possible complaint is with regard to the timetable. As this at present stands, the arrival of these boats at the respective terminii is a day or two after the departure of tbe mail via San Francisco. If the dates of the departure of the direct steamers were made a week earlier, correspondents might receive replies to their letters m ftonv 70 to 75 days from the date of their transmission.

Under these circumstances, we do not see the least chance of either of the schemes suggested by Wellington and Auckland being accepted by the House. The very fact of their having been propounded proves very clearly what we alluded to tbe other day— the intense selfishness of distfists with regard to the colonial work of retrenchment, . In this case we see Wellington and Awcfcl^qd willing to sacrifice the interests of the whole colony, provided that their own particular district does not suffer.