SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1436, 22 April 1905, Page 2

SIR JOSEPH WARD.

IMPORTANT STATEMENT REGARD ING MAIL SERVICES.

By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Beceived 11.49 p.m., April 20. Sydney, April 20. Messrs Burns, Philp and Co. entertained Sir Joseph Ward and a large company. Colonel Burns, who presided, said the people hore looked upon Now Zealand as a sort of paradise. Her people were prosperous and contented. Sir Joseph Ward, referring to the San Francisco mail service, said that New Zealand in the last thirty years or more had been largely responsible for the continuonce of this most important service. Naturally for any uses Australia made of it, it was expected she would pay a reasonable amount towards continuance. While they did not wish to slip in as outside persons in order to bring about a difficulty as between the Federal Government and j the Oceanic Company, they felt that it was an inadequate amount for Australia | to offer to pay two shillings per pound of mail matter to enable the American service to be carried on with England. It was contended in New Zealand that if they were prepared to do what they did for the conveyance of their mails via Suez the Federal Government ought to be prepared to pay a fair amount. When the present Oceanic contract expired, New Zealand would ask why she was paying so much for a service the greatest benefit of which went to Australia. He hoped the Federal Postmaster-General would look beyond the narrow view, and regard it as being a mail service as of much importance to Australia as it was to New Zealand, where the Bteamers only touched en route to Sydney. He alluded to this because New Zealand was anxious not to lose the benefits to be obtained both by New Zealand and Australia by having connection with the United States. They would be aoting very stupidly if they had not seized the opportunity to develop trade with America, particularly when they gave the opportunity of conveying mails by an alternative lino to England. From a purely business standpoint, New Zealand was anxious that the Vancouver service should be extended there as well. She proposed to give the modest contribution ohS2Q,OOO per annum to enable it to be done, and so maintain the San Francisco service side by side with the' Vancouver,