HOME MAIL SERVICES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2107, 15 June 1907, Page 4

HOME MAIL SERVICES.

United’ Press Association—Copyright MELBOURNE, June 13. The Postmaster-General has completed arrangements for a renewal of tho Vancouver mail service for two years, on the same terms as at present, except that during tho busy season tho Miowera will he replaced by another vessel, reducing tho steaming time by 24 hours, and making it optional to terminate the contract at tho end of the first year by four months’ notice.

MELBOURNE, June 14. The mail contract has developed another phase. Victoria has now agreed to contribute tho whole amount of the guarantee debentures, with certain stipulations which exclusively benefit Victoria, lhe conditions involve a first mortgage over the vessels, the guarantee to be inoperative till eight steamers are built, all possible repairs and victualling to be done at Melbourne, Victo-’ ria to have first call over 1200 tons of refrigerated space per vessel during the butter and fruit seasons, and representation on tho liOudon and Melbourne boards. The otlior States are to have tho right to join within six months on paying per capita shares of the guarantee.

Press Association. DUNEDIN. Thursday. In connection with the Vancouver renowal the Star says Brisbane is still to ho the port' of call at this end. Tho present mail time is 221 days, and an improvement to 21-i days is to be effected by permanently replacing the Miowera in March by tho. Manuka or a steamer as good. The right of the Commonwealth Government to terminate the contract on four months’ notice as from July, 1908, implies that the future of the service will havo to be considered and put on a permanent basis. The present contract fixes tlio subsidy and general conditions as formerly. Calling at New Zealand is not mentioned in the present extension of service, but negotiations to that effect will ho resumed when tho question of further renewal comes up.

THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE

SYDNEY OPINION

“It is very much to the interest of the port of-Sydney (writes the Sydney Morning Herald) to have direct and regular mail communication with Sail Francisco as well as- with Vancouver, hut it is moro to tho interest of San Francisco. A recent statement published in that city, apparently with tho approval of Mr. Sprocket, shows that the interruption of the servico will disorganise that port’s communications to the extent of half a million dollars a year. It is not only Australia which is affected, hut Honolulu also; and possibly the continuation of that service to other parts of tlio South Seas. By means of the improved service which the Union Company are prepared to offer we can trade to Vancouver and continue to connect with San Francisco without entailing much real difference in face of the present .volume of trade. It has to be remembered that the Californian port is just as anxious to secure Pacific and Australian trade and communications just as we are in the corresponding direction. But according to tho statement published last month by tlio Oceanic Company the three sister ships so well known in the Sydney to San Francisco trade—tho Sonoma, Sierra, and Ventura—are now definitely withdrawn. Several reasons have" conduced to this result. The refusal of Congress to grant the subsidies expected and the disorganisation of the service by the earthquake a little over a year ago, have been the chief operating causes. But in view of the history of the line probably" there are others.

“We are not to regard the San Francisco service as having finally fallen through yet, but what has happened makes it advisable that we should he prepared to face the possible. In the Vancouver service now carried on by the Union Company we have another string to our bow, - but it is one which it is advisable to strengthen. If the moral of the Oceanic Company’s suspension of service is that we must' learn to be independent and rely on ourselves in the matter of this Pacific mail service, then it follows that we must help the Union Company to strengthen its Vancouver line'. The contract expires in July, so that we have not much time to spare in thinking over it. Circumstances conspire to force our hands, though there is no suggestion that tho Union Company proposes to take advantage of tho awkwardness of the juncture which lies before us. 011 tho contrary the proposition from that quarter is that tho term of the existing contract be extended by a period of nine months, which the Union Company would like to use im improving its service up to tho standard of speed required, by the Commonwealth postal authorities. It proposes to put on three more vessels of tho required standard of speed within two years. It is the Union Company’s opportunity, if that enterprising organisation is in a position tif .seize it. But whether it will do that- alone, or in ■ combination with the Canadian-Pacific Railway Company, remains for the present an open question so far as the public is concerned. A recent cable, supplemented by information from a visitor, speaks of two of the famous Empress line of steamships being transferred to the Australian-Pacific route. They are handsome and commodious vessels of at least 20-knot speed, and of course under those conditions the carriage of mails would lie facilitated and the passenger trade stimulate;] in cqmpetition with the other routes.'