THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2402, 13 December 1870, Page 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE.

The Ba'lamf, ( ' in/rinr, commenting on Mr Francis's postal ideas, shows that they are not shared in by the thinking mind of Victoria. In an article under date December 2, that journal writes The subject of postal communication with America and the mother country bv the Californian route, was brought under the notice of the Assembly on Wednesday evening by Mr Berry, and evoked a long explanation from Mr Francis. The gist of the the hon. the Treasurer's reply was that Victoria was asked to contribute 116,000 per annum towards the expense of this service, but as this was considered too high a price to pay for the privilege of having postal communication with England through California, the Government declined the offer. From a return which Mr Francis read to the House, it seems that up to the time of the Victorian Government declining to pay this subsidy, an average of only 300 letters had been dispatched via California from this Colony ; while the number received was very little in excess of those figures. The cost to the country would therefore have been, had this demand for LG,OOO been acquiesced in, somethin'.; like LI for every letter received and dispatched, Mr Francis said the Government thought the game scarcely worth the price, and therefore declined to enter into a postal treaty to open np a route for lettersCo America and England through California. The Government had another reason for declining the offer, namely, the evident desire of the House to arrange postal •mmuuication with England by means of swift and large steamers via the Cape of Good Hope. He showed that a new principle of constructing steam engines lias been invented in England, and that in the event of this principle proving successful, of which there is no cause to doubt, the Gape route can he adopted with great advantage to this Colony. The new principle consists of “ compound” engines, which by working at high and low pressure will greatly economise the quantity of gold consumed. The P. and O. Company has had a new boat made, and fitted with this new descrip, tion of engine, a trial of which has proved eminently satisfactory, whilst another boat with the same kind of machinery lias hem , built for the Australian trade, and was to leave England for Melbourne on the loth of last mouth. This last is named the Queen • of the Thames, and is of 3,600 tons register. Mr Francis’ general deduction from all these statements and circumstances combined was that the safest policy for this Colony is to wait until the “compound” principle has been thoroughly tested, when we shall be in a. sounder position to decide on a second postal route with England than we are at the present time. The whole question would seem then, from the foregoing circumstances, to stand in this position. Nothing will be done towards placing our postal communications with San Francisco on a sound basis until the Queen of the Thames has reached Melbourne, or broken down on the road, though in the meantime New Zealand may make such terms with the United States Government as will place us entirely at the mercy of the former Colony should we ultimately he compelled to adopt California as a second route for communication with the motbe r country. We cannot help thinking, in view of all the circumstances, that the Gyvernmmt, of which jMr jFrancis was the mouth-piece on . Wednesday evening, has acted with very mistaken judgment in this matter, despite the uncertainty in which the jpvhole question of route j is involved, and the new discovery of “ compound” engines of which wc hear so much. The first consideration which is naturally evoked by this question of subsidy, is whether it is worth the while of Victoria to have rapid communicrtion with San Francisco, or the continent of America, at all. if it is, then wo must expect to pay for it; and LGOOa month docs not seem a verr high figure for the privilege, especially as that sum would include a (pricker 'and surer means of transmitting letters to New Zealand and Honolulu Ilian we possess at present, or arc likely to secure for some time to pome. What the actual cost of each letter would be under existing circutn tances docs not touch tire question, f Letters are not generally sent by this new lino to San Francisco and England, owing to the doubt which people entertain of their communications reaching their destinations while direct postal communication with California is in such a chaotic condition. In England, the anthorities regard these maflfers from a very different point of view. jßy make now routes as facile to the publics possible, and the result always is that ultimately they pay the coat of working. Our Government should have acted in the same spirit with this Californian question, especially as the cost would only have been LGOOO per annum, and by paying that sum a direct and quick route to Kew Zealand, Honolulu, California, and the whole continent of America. would have been opened up, instead of letters for the fourth quarter of the globe having to depend on small steamers or sailing I ships for conveyance, or may be travelling first to Europe before they find their way to their destinations. Through communication to England being included in the arrangement, only added to the advantages of the offer. There was no impediment to the Government accepting it, and still being prepared for any emergency which may arise round the Cape of Good Hope, or along any other route. Direct communication with the whole continent of America is a necessity with us, and will rather increase than diminish as time advances. We cannot get over this fact. Supposing then the “compound ” principle proves all its admirers claim for it, the Cape of Good Hope route will not give us communication with America. It will simply settle the problem of a second route to England and do nothing else. We shall still need direct communication with the United States through San Francisco ; but we shaT then be in this awkward position, that wc shall have to submit to aiiy terms which the New Zea*

land Government may impose. Surely it would have been wiser, for the sake of LIiOOO a year, to have escaped from this contingency, especially as by lending a willing car to the offer of tlie contractor, Melbourne would to a certainty bare become the point of departure an I arrival of these steamers. bo certainly liave an alternative should the demands of New Zealand be too high. Vi start P lino of imv own, anti give Now Zea tbe cold shoulder. But this would inns in a heavier expenditure than jjGOOI) a year, and at the same time restrict communication to something less tnan twelve mails a voir. Steam comnnmication with England via the Cape of (load Hope commend* itself favorably to all rational p; oplc, and tbe time cannot be lav distant when it will become as common as the trips of sailing vessels. Hut except in war time it will never beat the Suez route out of the field ; while the fact of boats by that route mi sing two-thirds of the ports touched by tbe 11,I 1 , and 0. boats, and touching none that that service does not embrace, wdl make it worthless for postal purposes. The Suez route we are bound to maintain, whatever steam engines, “compound" or singular, may lie invented to shorten tbe through water journey between England and Victoria. But neither the one nor tbe other can give us direct mail or passenger communication with California and the"States. This is bow the whole ipicstion stands, and this is why the Victorian Government have made and still make a mistake in not accepting the offer made to them by the N'cw Zealand Government.