Postal Communication with Great Britain.

Cromwell Argus, Issue I, 8 June 1870, Page 5

Postal Communication with Great Britain.

(Canterbury PresJ.) The postal communication between Great . Britain and the Australian colonics some difficulty; in establishing itself onjly satisfactory footing. For upwards years tho colonial Governments engaged, off and on, in attempting to range some scheme which shall suit all alike, but hitherto without success. The chief difficulty arises from the jealousies that subsist between Victoria and New South Wales. Either Sydney or Melbourne must be the head quarters, and neither can be prevailed on to give way to its rivab But the matter is otherwise not an easy one to settle. Each colony has some j>et; line of its own, which it wishes to hare adopted in preference to or simultaneously with any other. Queensland is specially interested in tho maintenance of the route via Torres Straits, which New South Wales for similar reasons is unwilling to assist in supporting. Victoria refuses to contribute to the support of a mail service, vh- '' Torres Straits, but insists on tho old lino via Suez, which also is tho one that suits South Australia. Victoria, too, is still striving to carry out lior favourite plan of a line of steamers round the Capo of Good Hope. New Zealand will be satislied with nothing else than a service across tho Pacific by way of San Francisco. Ono glance at the map is enough to show that this is by far the most expeditious way of communicating with Great Britain and Europe; and now that the railway has been ox- J tended across the American continent, it lias become a matter of positive certain ty. The commercial advantages are too to leave anv doubt that all the continent will sooner or later come into it. In this respect the failure of tho Panama Company was not altogether a misfortune for New Zealand, since it will now bo ablo to get substantially the same service per- a formed at one-third of tho cost. So far, then, as New Zealand is concerned, tho question of the route is settloffyffcj and the ultimate assistance of tho colonies may be pretty confidently on. But the manner in which tho H shall be carried on has yet to be decidtrajH The contract entered into by Mr Vc«ot® with Mr Hall can scarcely bo regarded asfl more than a temporary arrangement, pend-H ing tho development of some more plete scheme. Possibly it may ratified by the Assembly, where it is oertailH to be opposed by the representatives JHI Wellington, which is furious at tho sflH lection of Auckland as the port call. The passionate jealousy exiaJßd.-j between Auckland and Wellington amusing parody, on a reduced scale, PH| similar state of feeling between SydnJHß and Melbourne. If, however, we uHB judge by tho first trip, the contract woHg well enough. The passengers and n«H from the Wonga were d u On from Honoiuljß-? . San the Pacific jBBB| accomplished tainly a day or T'ivo'itflbmhc time. That the steaufbr brought no English mail is explainer by tho novelty of the arrangements, as no mail would bo dispatched from England till tho necessary instructions had been forwarded to the London Post-office. If Mr Hall can secure the co-operation of the Pacific Company, and the regular transmission of letters across tho Continent, wo da -notTSSS that so far there is any valid ground of complaint against the contract. Tho principal objection to it is the delay in the distribution of the letters after arrival that must result from the pore 01 call being situated at the extremity of tho colony an inconvenience that will bo greatly felt | in the Southern Provinces. Lately a..for- . midable opponent to Mr Hall has preseuteiJß himself in tho person of Mr Collie, of Mr Webb, a well-known shipowner gK New York, who sufficient ducemcnb is offered, to escaWhsffi a steamers between San Franciscosand Aihß trali-i, via New Zealand. The dWls Mr Collie’s proposals have been They have been received in with vast favor ; owing, wo may venture to say, to the fact that Mr Collie prefers Wellington as a port of call, and that the adoption of this lino would boa over Auckland, Lastly, there is Afl mysterious company, with Sir Grey for chairman, which has often in the English telegrams, prospectus was received -f'Jy'-u' .■' fhvjl were gold that .w&nld ho of very to Sydney to London ‘ ,£IOO a trip each into effect, Would^KfSs^' Mr \