SUEZ MAIL-A CHANGE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1181, 17 July 1911, Page 5

SUEZ MAIL-A CHANGE.

BIG PROPOSAL. AUCKLANTJERS SACK US UP. (By Toltcraph.-SDfxial Correspondent.) n,, , , Auckland, July 10. ihe proposal of tho Wellington Chain, her of Commerce in regard to a rearrangement of the distribution of the Suez mail camo beforo ihe council u f tho Auckland Chamber of Commcrco yesterday afternoon. Tho proposal, as already explained, jb that the mail, instead of being brought from Sydney to Auckland by tho steamer leaving on AVcdnesday, should be brought to Wellington, and that tho weekly steamer to that pqrt should leave Sydney on Monday-the day on which tho mail arrives there. It was stated, in a letter from tho Wei. ington Chamber, that the only obstacle was that it jtoight necessitate the beats coaUng m a dearer port thaji. at present, but it was believed that this difficulty coiiid bo overcomo by tho payment of a small mcroa.so of subsidy.' ■thei provident (Mr. Loo Myers) said i ij i was a maltor tVjat tuo chamber should took at from a purely Dominion. sr.ii>ipq..nt. J. ho suggestion was that tho wcilraston boat from. Sydney, which at Present left on Saturdays, should not wavo till Mondays, and that it should »\ng the Suez mail, instead of that mail J'Jing allowed to remain (ill the depori" roofthc Auckland boat on Wednesdays. This would mean that Ihe mail would arrivo in Wellington on Friday morning, iu timo to catch the Auckland express : Hint day. Tho mail would thus bo do- ■ livcrcd in Auckland on Saturday morn-ing-or two days earlier than at present. There would thus be a distinct advNitago to Auckland, and (ho southern -cities would also benefit. Ho thought that the chamber should approve of tho proposal, and it would thus prove to the rest of (he Dominion (if there was ever any doubt on the subject) that the Auckland Chamber did not regard matters from a parochial point of view. It should, moreover, bo remembered that Auckland would possess a special advantage next month, when the new Vancouver service, would be inaugurated. Ho moved tho following motion:—"That this chamber, recognising that it would be of advantage to the whole of the Dominion, is of. opinion that the proposal regarding ihe distribution of the Suez mail from "Wellington, on the lines suggested in the letter of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, be approved of, provided it in no way interfered with the Auckland-Sydney weekly connection." , In reply to Mr. J. H. Upton, the president stated that tho Union Company received a subsidy for carrying the Suez mail fvom Sydney to New Zealand.

Mr. L. j. Bagnall seconded tho motion. Mr, S. J. Nathan, in supporting the motvon, said that, on every fourth week, the, mail could he brought to Auckland b'> the Vancouver boat, which would ar> rive, here on Friday morning. IMr. Upton: Yes, and when tho Suez mail is late in reaching Sydney, it can be brought on by the ordinary Auckland steamer as at' present. Tho President: I am sure that it will be gratifying to tho Wellington Chamber to find that the Auckland Chamber i« not narrow-minded.

The motion was carried unanimously,