THE POSTAL QUESTION.

Evening Star, Issue 3056, 4 December 1872, Page 3

THE POSTAL QUESTION.

Op the subject of the San Frapcisco mail, jijie “ Anglo-Australian •’ writes in the European Mall, as follows Spine suypr|Be Y as expressed at ap announcement which appealed % other day, to the effect that the New South Wales Government were prepared to accept tenders lof'a mail service ina San Francisco, because It was thought, now clined to join New Zealand, this lat|cr colony anil New t*6uth Wales pfighf, have come to jjome prraogepient fop a joipfc service. tin the face pf the appoupcenient, however, it WPifld appear that New South Wales is going i“ Wr a distinct line, though it may peyhapfl turn out, wheu the details of the pcheme com 6 to b® known, that she is not nveyso to &n alliance for postal purposes with New Zealand. of this subject, I hear that a company, embracing certain English steamship and American railroad interests, is being formed in London, for the Siosc of establishing a line of first-class steamers between San Francisco, Australia, and New Zealand. The report is that the service shall go into operation, by means of chartered steamers, without delay, reliance being placed upon the Colonial Governments that they will grant adequate subsidies to the line wheu they find that it is to be thoroughly effective. In about six or eight months the chartered vessels are to be replaced by three new flteamcrs, built expressly for tjiis route, upon She exact Model, with cabins amidships, that iiaij pioved 1 so successful \n {ho case of the White^tarLincfr*)^ Livery d to New York, fiicse vessels will built to steam fourteen knpts per four, and aft average service of twelve k'UQta will pc gimrapM. Quo evil nf the San Francisco rpute hitherto lias been that no one was responsible for the transit of mails »t?roM| the American Continent. This will be remedied by the new opmpany. as they will bo prepared to contract under penalties for the conveyance of the mails the whole way between Queenstown mid the colonies. The route proposed to be followed, until the determination of the Colonial Governments is known, will be from San Francisco to Honolulu, thence, via Samoa, Now Caledonia, and Moreton IsUt.cl (for Queensland), to Sydney. Jt the New Zealand Government desire it, a inane i steamer will connect all their ports with the main line at Samoa, 1 he mails will ho guaranteed to he delivered at Queensland m forty days, Sydney forty-two days, Melbourne forty-four days, and at Auckland in thirtyeight days. It is intended to commence the service as quickly as the necessary arrange-

ments can be made at the different points, without waiting for the action of the New South Wales Government in respect of the tenders which they have just invited for a mail line on tbc S'an Francisco route. This would seem to bear out what I said in my last with respect to the United States being determined to bid high for our Colonial trade. It will, of course, require a lump of money to set the scheme going, but 1 suppose the prom- ters have well weighed the cost of the enterprise It must be remembered that I in no way bind myself to what is here stated, and that though there can be no doubt that active steps are being taken to carry out the contemplated service, 1 have no means of judging of the support which the promoters are likely to secure. They, however, seem very sanguine of success ; and I am told that they not only mean business, but that very shortly the steamers will be seen in Australian waters.