The Dominion. MONDAY, JULY 18, 1910. OCEAN MAILS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 871, 18 July 1910, Page 6

The Dominion. MONDAY, JULY 18, 1910. OCEAN MAILS.

An excellent illustration of the advantage to commercial houses, and indeed to the whole community, of a change in the day of departure of the Sydney'steamer , for Wellington was afforded last week. The departure of the Warrinioo was delayed from the regular sailing time on Saturday until the Monday following, with the result that the inward English mail, via Suez, which reaches Sydney on Monday of each week, was brought on and reached the Dominion on Friday. t Under ordinary conditions this mail lies at Sydney until the Wednesday, and does not .reach New Zealand until Sunday, when it is due at Auckland. If it is in tim'e to catch the express it-arrives at Wellington on the Monday night and goes on to the South Island tho same evening. Thus it will be seen that through the delay in the departure of the Warrimoo on the occasion under review the mail reached Wellington and the South Island four days earlier than usual, and Auckland two days earlier. Why should not ' this expeditious delivery be made the rule 1 In the. annual report of the Post' and Telegraph Department laid before Parliament a few days ago, reference is made to the question, and the importance _ of carrying out a change in the direction stated is dwelt on. The report, after commenting on the satisfactory outward service established, says: The inward connection ie, however, not satisfactory .... [English] mails are timed to reach Sydney on Monday. The steamer I'm , Now Zealand continues to leave Sydney on AVcdno*day. Repeated . efforts have been made to induce the Union S.S. Company to alter the date of departure to Monday, but although the Oiuon Company lies expressed its willingness to make the alteration, if practicable,, iiction lui3 been delayed, as tho company has not been able to see its way to make-the extensive changes in the intercolonial running which the proposal would involve Negotiations are still proceeding. The question of rearranging the time-table is no doubt one that requires careful consideration on the part of the Union Company, but it does not appear to offer instirmo.untable obstacles. A correspondent, who appears to have given the matter a good deal of attention recently forwarded us a suggested time-table which seems to cover the contingencies that would require to bo weighed. This will be more clearly understood, perhaps, if we reproduce it in full, rather than attempt to explain his suggestion: Present. Proposed. Leaves Sydney Saturday Monday Arrives AVellington Wed'sday Friday . Leaves Wellington | Thursday Friday Leaves Lyttelton Friday Saturday Arrives Dunedin Saturday Sunday Leaves Dunedin Sunday Monday Leaves Bluff Monday Tuesday Leaves Hobart Thursday Friday Arrives Melbourne Saturday Sunday leaves Melbourne Wed'sday Wed'sdoy Loaves Jlobiirl Friday Friday Leaves Bluff Monday Monday Arrives Dunedin Tuesday Tuesday Leaves JJunediu Wnd'sday Wod'sdny L-Bives Lyttelton Thursday Thursday Leaves Wellington Friday Friday Arrives Sydney Tuesday. Arriving in Sydney as above, the steamer catches as now the Suez mail ' olcains that afternoon, and ehe ■ has then

lo the I'ollou'iug Monday morning to refit and lonil, sailing after the mail arrival by the morning rrsiin At present our iiiails li<? ill Sydney uji to Wediws-'day, when they are'dispatched via Aiicklanil, mid'usually only reach us on Monday (often Tiiciilay), too lute for delivery that Jay. Whereas by above service they would be here on .Friday in time to bo forwarded bv all trains Hint morning, including Auckland, where they wuufd reach on Saturday morning. Dispatch would also be had from Wellington to all southern ports, anil the most speedy and complete delivery everywhere aiiordcii. The matter is of so much importance that every effort should be made to clear away the difficulties which up to the present have prevented the suggested alteration in .the timetable. Sir Joseph Ward has always shown himself keenly interested in the subject of our ocean mail services, and while we do not see eye to eye with him in many respects, we quits recognise his anxiety to place our ocean mail services on a satisfactory footing. He will be able to take credit for. a'very material advance when he successfully accomplishes a rearrangement which will overcome the delay which at present takes place on the inward mails at Sydney.