MAIL NEWS.

Gisborne Times, Volume VI, Issue 152, 9 July 1901, Page 1

MAIL NEWS.

Paris, May 11. When the question of the annual subsidies to the French line running from Havre to New York comes up in Parliament u group will oppose the renewal of the mail monopoly and recommend a division of the subsidy between the Havre company and u new lino which capitalists are ready to establish from Brest to New Y'ork if assured of the Government’s partial support. This would give France the shortest sea crossing and benefit New York with another lino of great steamers. Advocates of the new enterprise assort in their petition that the Havre company has always been behind the lines of other nations in speed, size and comfort of its vessels. “ Even now,” says the petition, 11 it is building now steamors of a type considered obsolete in Germany, England and America.” It is also alleged that Havre company so far has successfully smothered all intending competitors by its influence with the French Parliament and the New York dock authorities. It is declared that traffic between New York and France has now almost completely gone to the American and German lines touching at Cherbourg. The people connected with the company thus assailed believe that J. I’ierpont Morgan is the power behind this antagonistic movement. They say ho has promised to support the Brest line, which proposes starting next year with eight big steamers bought wherever available, and immediately pooling with such other lines as Mr Morgan intends to control in the near future. London May 11. Sensational stories have been published here, giving minute descriptions of a new line of mammoth transatlantic steamers do luxe which ,T. Piorpont Morgan is declared to bo building for millionaires, the lowest fare being P'tiOO. Everything, it is said, will be managed on the scale of luxury ...id magnificence of the costliest European hotels, the attractions including a theatre where the highest class of artists will perform. Gustav Wolff, M.l’., head of the famous Belfast firm of Harland and Wolff, constructors of the White Star ships, laughed when a press correspondent asked him his opinion of the practicability of this dazzling scheme. Ho said : “ I have not heard of any such line of ships and I don’t believe they are contemplated, unless Mr Morgan has a fancy for endowing them for the benefit of his brother American millionaires. They would certainly never pay, and the scheme is manifestly the work of some idealist, who is as ignorant of ship construction and its possibilities as of the practical considerations governing ocean voyages. The five-day liner is still very much in the future, and the newest Atlantic vessels are quite palatial enough and quite dear enough even for American millionaires.”