NEW ZEALAND MAIL CONTRACT

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2095, 22 January 1908, Page 3

NEW ZEALAND MAIL CONTRACT

THE ALL RED ROUTE

TO NEW ZEALAND IN 25 DAYS

The High Commissioner for New Zealand was one of t'he speakers in a discussion on the All Red Route at i dinner given this week by the Liberal Colonial Club .to the Hon. Clifford Sifton, K.C., late Alinister of the Interior in Canada. Air Reeves strongly suportecl the scheme, ft was difficult, lie said, to get people to consider the future us well as tho present. People asked what was to be the traffic ,wlio were to be the passengers. 'But were not people who had even twenty years experience surprised at the advance made? More progress could be made, and the groat advance that was possiblo was through improved communication. Wo could at least team that lesson from the old Roman Empire, although that was not the greater matter. Sentiment was a far more reaching source of union which could be heliied on by the improved communications. L'lven if the, new route did nothing for . trade, it might be justified by providing the most 'healthy and rapid means of travel between New Zealand and) the Mother Country. The all Red Route would lead through men of our own race, free men, with an attachment to the Empire as great as any. Ho had his Government’s .authority to say that New Zealand would pay a sum not only proportioned to her population, hut ample for her share in the route. No part of the Empiro would gain more than New Zealand : but the route would also do a great deal for Eastern Australia, and more than nine-tenths of the Australians lived in the east ancl south-east of that continent. The Panama route would not affect the question ; and the idea that it would, was ono of the delusions fostered by maps on Mercator’s projection. Air. Sifton said that the .mails between New Zealand and London now took 38 days by Australia and Suez. By the new route they would take less than 5 days from London to a Canadian port, 8J days from London to Vancouver, and 25 days to New Zealand. The route should attract a large traffic from Australia as well as New Zealand. The Lusitania’s best time from Liverpool to New York was 5 days 18 hours 48 minutes, tho distance being 3026 knots. Tho 2439 knots from Liverpool to Halifax would be covered by a 24-knot boat in 4 days 12 hours; the 2633 or 289.1 knots from Liverpool to Quebec. via Bello Isle or Cape Race, would take 4 days 20 hours or 5 days G hours. He had it on the beat authority that, though the new Cull ardors were of 38.000 tons. 20,000ton steamers of the same speed could be built on economic lines. The fog question bad been thoroughly investigated by tho I'nifed States Hydrographic Service, which showed that the percentage of foggy days on the northern rniio across the Atlantic averaged only 3.5-12 per cent, against 8 per cent, on the New York route. As for tile ice, it compelled ships to take a slightly more southerly route from December to Alay. and in the Gulf of St. Lawrence there were floating bergs at certain seasons, but this was not a serious danger to careful navigators. Tho dangers of the iSt. Lawrence wore talked of; but from 1860 to 1307 only seven passenger vessels had stranded, and only five on the routes now in question. Four of these five accidents lnut been conclusively shown to lie due to incompetent' and careless navigation, leaving only one—the strand of the Montreal in 1880 —attributed bv the Court of Inquiry to the danger of tho route and extraordinary weather. AVith the improved aids to navigation, and greater knowledge, snoh an event would not be likely now. There would very shortly be a channel 1000 ft wide and 10ft deep, right up to Quebec, so that the fastest ship could go at full speed all the way. From the naval and military point of view the new route was exceedingly desirable. For one thing, at would involve harbors handling the largest- vessels in time of peace, and, therefore, capable of handling'them in time of war. Then

|it should lie realised that- boloro ! such a route, if established at too ! earliest possible date, bad been ten vein's iii existence, Canada would I be able to supply all tho food requirements. of the Mother Country, while the United States wotibl have finally ceased to export gram. Ibo routes taken by grain from our otiiI or sources of supply—dmlm, Aus- ; India, Argentina, and' Continental I Europe —would be lar more liable to ; attack in war lime Ilian the route ' „oniss the North Atlantic, winch I might make all the difference he- : tw.-en scarcity and plenty m U*'* British Isles. This roujo would nh-o be of Ihe greatest service if n -largo j body of troops li-.id to be sent lo India.' AVhon, therefore, wo were i spending millions on our Na-’" to | maintain the supremacy of the sea, it would surely be well to spend ■ the eompiiralively small sum required for this route, which in time of war might be an absolute necessity. The ships would be built according to Admiralty requirements, and fitted to onrrv heavy guns. It was very desirable that the Colonies should assist- Great Britain in maintaining our naval supremacy- and in the carrying out of this schemo tliuv would bo making a substantial beginning. Sir IV. Laurier’s suggestion was that Canada ishould boar half the expense of tho 2-l-knot boats on the Atlantic, and a very substantial share of the 18-knot service on the Pacific. The more thoroughly the question was considered, the clearer it was that when the route had been established a few voars it would be a solid commercial success. The -British Government was now making investigations, and Canada -expected an early -and favorable reply. The case lor tlio route was unanswerable, and. oven it tlio present negotiations <li«.l not .succeed, success would- come ill a verv short time.