THE ’FRISCO MAIL SERVICE

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 21 October 1901, Page 4

THE ’FRISCO MAIL SERVICE

Plain language from a Trader.

On being interviewed, Mr D. J. Nathan, a prominent Wellington merchant, expressed his indignation at the idea that we were dependent on America for a mail serv ee or any other service. He says, if that is the case, we bad better haul down the Union Jack, and become a dependency of America straight away. Ho sees no necessity for expediting the mail service, and points out that all urgent business is transacted by cable. Like many other people, Mr Nathan wants Mr Bprocklos to explain, before we enter into another arrangement with him, how it is that ho gives preference t.) some communities and indivuals over others, and why Y/ellingion, Christchurch, and Dunedin merchants, are charged, perhaps, 50 and 60 per cent more for the carriage of goods than those in Sydney, and, perhaps, 30 and 40 per cent more than those in Auckland. Mr Nathan scouts the idea that for tho sake of getting our mails a day or two quicker wo should give foreign bottoms the preference over those of the OldGountry.

Our patriotism is not worth much, he thinks, if wo are not prepared to substantially subsidise a fast line of our own, and not only a fast line, but a class of steamers suitable for conversion into armoured cruisers, so that they might protect shipping in time of trouble. It hurts Mr Nathan’s fetlings to see the way foreigners are eating into our shipping trade ii all parts of the world, and he alludes with sorrow to the manner in which German and French liners are being allowed to cut into the Australian passenger trade of the P. and 0. line.

Mr Nathan says tho British developed the Samoa and Honolulu trade at great expense, and then actually subsided a foreigner to trade with those places, until they were taken out of our hands. He is not impressed with the statements we hoar from time to time that British and American interests are net conflicting, but coi- c'der.t and ho would call upon Parliament to evince its patrionsm, and set an example to other Parliaments of the Empire, even if a sacrifice is entailed at the outset by voting for red, all red, and nothing but red. Every penny spent in subsidising Mr Spree kies is in Mr Nathan’s opinion, mono;/ expended on bolstering up a foreign trade opposed to British interests.