DEPUTATION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2398, 8 December 1870, Page 2

DEPUTATION OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.

To-day, at noon, a deputation from the Chamber of Commerce, consisting of Messrs Davy, Houghton, Neill, Oliver, Rattray, Size, Walcott, and Webb (secretary), Avaitcd on tlio Hon. J, Vogel, the Colonial Treasurer, to represent the present position of the Suez mail service in reference to Otago. Mr Walcott briefly stated the object of the deputation in words the substance of Avbich is embodied in the following memorandum, Avhich he then read and presented to Mr Vogel: — “ Chamber of Commerce, “ Dunedin, Sth Dec., 1870. “ To the Honorable the Postmaster-General.

“Sir —Referring to the correspondence Avhich has taken place between the Chamber of Commerce of Dunedin and yourself in reference to tho Suez Mail Service, the Chamber now desires to bring under your notice the great inconvenience aud loss AA’hich this community has suffered from the irregularity of tho arrival and dispatch of letters by that service for many months past. “ The mails from Great Britain via Suez, and from the various Asiatic ports, have been left to Ho in Melbourne for several days, and have then been brought doAvn by steamers Avhich call first at Hokitika, and subsequently at all intervening ports. The whole time between the arrival of the mail in Melbourne and its delivery here has in this way been extended to fifteen and even so much as tAventy days. Similarly the homeward mails have been dispatched from Dunedin a long time in adA’auce of the departure of the mail boats from Hobson’s Bay, the interval having in one instance been no less than twcnty-tAvo days. Appended to this memorial is a table showing the dates of arriA’al and departure of the mails via Suez during tho past three months. “Although the Chamber has learnt Avith satisfaction that there is a prospect of a reliable mail service to and from Great Britain by Avay of America, it Avould still urge the necessity and importance of the Eastern route, hoAvevcr regular the San Francisco Service may become. Tho correspondence from the Continent of Europe and from India ami China still requires that a regular communication Avith tho Suez mail boats should be kept up.

“The Chamber is anxious to soo the service put upon some such basis as the following For the homeward mails a steamer to leave I'ort Chalmers for Melbourne via Bluff oi.rht (S) days before the mail steamer leaves Hobson’s Bay ; for the outward mails a steamer to leave Melbourne Avithin twentyfour (24) hours after their arrival there. The Chamber believes that sv.eli a service might lie obtained by paying a small subsidy to the line of steamers uoav employed in the trade between Melbourne aud this Colony, and

would respectfully urge that an endeavor should bo made to secure a regular communication in that or some other manner.

“ In laying this matter before you, the Chamber has dealt with it from one point of view only, its functions being restricted to the conservation of the interest of the mercantile community. Existing circumstances in Europe must, however, make the Government and all classes of the community equally interested in keeping up close and rapid connection in the mail line via Suez.

“1 am, Sir, “Your obedient Servant, “For the Chamber of Commerce, “James A. Wau'ott, “ Vice-Chairman.” Ho added that the September mail arrived in Melbourne on the 2otii of that month, and lay in Melbourne until the Ist October. It reached Hokitika on the Gth and Dunedin on the 14th, twenty days after leaving Melbourne. The October mail arrived on the 25th, left Melbourne on the 27th, reached Hokitika on the Ist November and Dunedin on the Otb, or in sixteen days. The November mail arrived on the 23rd in Melbourne, was fortunate in catching a boat leaving that day, reached Hokitika on the 2Sth, and through the courtesy of the Government was sent overland, and reached Dunedin on the 3rd. Had it come by steamer it would not have reached us until three days afterwards. As regarded the outward mail that in September left in good time—eight days before the steamer left Melbourne ; but for the October mail that left on the 11th, letters had to be posted on the 19th September—22days before the steamer left Melbourne ; and for the month of November it was necessary to post letters on the 17th October—22 days before the steamer left Melbourne.

The Hon. the Treasurer said it would have been more satisfactory to have given more extended dates than the last three months, because they did not agree with those in the memorandum before him. From November, 1869, to the present time, during which there had been no contract, the mails from London had been delivered in 54, 55, 56, 59, 59, 57, 51, 50, 61, 62, 63, and 61 days, making an average of 57 4-12 days. Between Dunedin and Loudon via Melbourne, the time averaged 56 3-9 days. As he thought, however, then'was a mistake in the figures, lie had telegraphed for more complete information That showed the time of delivery by Messrs M'Mcckan, Blackwood, and Co. when there was no contract. B,'tween London and Dunedin, with a contract, the time was 57 days, and without one 57 4-12 ; while from Dunedin to London, with a contract, the time was 58 6-8 days, and without one 56 3-9. There was, however, some discrepancy. and he had therefore telegraphed again. He considered it evident a large amount of money had been paid without receiving corresponding advantages. In 1863 LI 3,000, with demurrage at L2OO a day after the first two, was paid as subsidy, and the average time between London and Dunedin was 60 2-12 days, and from Dunedin to London 57 4-12 days. In 1864 the subsidy was L 17.000, with demurrage of L2OO a day after the first four; then it was 55 5 12 days between London and Dunedin, and 57 6-12 between Dunedin and London. Then the Otago Steam Ship Company took the contract New Zealand was not wealthy enough to pay two linos, and the General Assembly had determined to upset the Peninsular and Oriental Company’s Service, for it was so irregularly performed as to entail upon the Colony heavy payments for demurrage. When the Otago Steam Ship Company had the contract, the time from Dunedin to London averaged 59 3-12 days, and there was paid in Melbourne for demurrage between LSOOO and L6OOO. The hon. Treasurer gave statistics of the times under the various contracts, and shewed that the punctuality of the Peninsular aud Oriental Company was mainly induced by the competition of tbo Panama and San Francisco routes. There was an impression that Mr Macandrew considered Messrs M'Mcckan, Blackwood, and Co. had sufficiently established a trade between New Zealand and Melbourne, and therefore a subsidy was unnecessary. But the House determined that the mail should be carried by Hokitika and Wellington, and not by the Bluff route, and that might have bad something to da with the votes of the Otago members. When the service was knocked on the head, and the San Francisco Service substituted, the Government was empowered to use a small sum for forwarding the Melbourne mail in the shape of bonus. On his visit to Melbourne shortly afterwards he explained the matter to Messrs M'Mcckan, Blackwood and Co., and made them an offer as they had a number of vessels in the service. There •were two other firms—Messrs Bright Bros., and the Australian Steam Navigation Co., both of whom replied to similar proposals that they were at all times ready to oblige the merchants in the Colony without any subsidy. But he met with a very different expression from Messrs M'Mechan, Blackwood and Co., who thought they had a right to bo subsidised, and gave him to understand i: the subsidy were withheld, they would throw obstructions in the way of the transmission of the mails. They said they had reason to believe they would get a subsidy from the Otago Government. He pointed out to them that he personally had no objections, but it would place the Otago Government in a very ridiculous position if they opposed the General Government, and gave the money on behalf of the Province. They said, however, that at any rate for two months more the service should ho continue!. That was in December, but on sending down here and finding that no subsidy was voted from the various Provinces, they brought pressure to bear upon the Government, backed by the merchants of Dunedin, and the agent wrote to him repudiating the arrangement made, and saying it had never been agreed to. Though he took that course, Messrs M'Meckan&Oo. had written to claim a large sum of money which the. Government declined to pay. It appeared to him instead of the merchants constituting themselves agents of Messrs M'Mcckan and Co. they should support the Government, as it was the interest of that fi;m to oblige the merchants in carrying letters. Ho would give one instance of the treatment the Government had been subjected to. One evening he received a telegram saying that in the opinion of the Chamber of Commerce, in order to secure the quick dispatch of the mail, LIOO should be offered to Messrs M'Meckan, Blackwood, and Co., to bring it down from Wellington. Although the trade done should have been sufficient inducement, the Government deferred to the wishes of the Chamber, and made the offer. What was the consequence? Immediately afterwards the local paper treated the offer as an insult, aud since he arrived he had seen

a letter from Messrs M‘Meehan, Blackwood, and Co. to the same’effect. He found that it was through the suggestion of one of the agents that the Government was trapped into making an offer that was construed into an insult.

Mr Davy and Mr Rattray explained that a e mve-sation took place on the subject, in which Mr Rattray, as agent for M‘Meehan, Blackwood, and Co., suggested L2OO for the service; but on Mr Davy objecting to it on behalf the Chamber of Commerce, it was agreed to offer LIOO, Mr Rattray remarking he "did not know whether it would be accepted or not. Mr Vo'JF.l said it was not fair to get the Government to make an offer in connection with the agency, and then turn round and say it was mean to make such an offer. He would ask if it was reasonable to suppose that, wdth the San Francisco route established, the General Assembly would reestablish a service they had determined to knock off ? If they thought so, they must have a low opinion of the stability of purpose of the Parliament. The line about to be established would deliver the mail from London in 45 days, or possibly less ; and he would ask if it was reasonable the Assembly should subsidise a line by Suez at the same time ? lie had no doubt if the Chambers of Commerce of the three Provinces of Otago, Canterbury, and Wellington were to combine, and represent the matter to Messrs Bright Brothers and Co. and the Australian Steam Navigation Company, they would be glad to accommodate the merchants by waiting for the mail. So far from a subsidy being given, the contractors for the San Frar,» cisco Mail Service would expect that they should meet them by accepting any reasonable rates of freight, and they w’ould study their interest in doing so. He would observe that the Government offered to Messrs M‘Meehan, Blackw'ond and Co. Ll5O for six months service. They took it one month, but said iu future they would want L2“O each way. The Government, therefore, would henceforth send the mails overland from Hokitika.

After some further remarks, the Treasurer said Mr Hall’s contract for twelve services expired in March, and immediately afterwards the new service would begin. Referring again to the Suez Service he remarked that only eighteen mail bags, newspapers, included, arrived by the Suez mail; very few were, therefore, interested in it; and that so far as safety of transmission, the new service alone could be considered free from the risk of interruption by European war. The deputation expressed themselves satislied with the promise that mails via Suez should be forwarded overland from Hokitika, and, thanking the Hon. the Treasurer for his courtesy, withdrew.