THE DELAY OF THE MAIL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1935, 7 May 1880, Page 2

THE DELAY OF THE MAIL.

[Bt Tbibsbapk.] WELLINGTON, May 6. The following explanation respecting the delay in forwarding tho San Francisco mail haa been fun-.ished by the Government:— In anticipation of the arrival of the mail steamer at Auckland on Sunday, arrangements had been made that the Taiaroa should coma dirrct to Wellington, calling off New Plymouth only. Hero she would have met the Arawata, and transhipping to that boat all the South mails, would have herself at once started for Picton and NelsoH. But the Atlantic steamer was detained by fog, which Ciussd the Australia to leave San Francisco two days late. She did not, therefore, reach Auckland until 1 30 on Tuesday morning, and tho Taiaroa, owing to the tide, could not get out of the Manukau until 4 p.m. on that day, consequently the arrangement as to meeting the Arawata could not possibly be earned out, and it became necessary for the Taiaroa to call at Nelson and Picton. This has delayed her arrival here by a few hours, but has secured the early delivery of the Westland, Nehon, and Marlborough mails. The contract boat for 'he mail service between Nelson and the W.'st Coast has been waiting at Nelson since Monday. The Taiaroa will be hero to-night. Tho mails will be two days late for Wellington, and correspondingly so for Chriatchurch and Dunedin. will have twelve days, Dunedin fourteen, and Christ/church fifteen for rotlies. The delay is entirely attributed to fogs in the Atlantic. The Post-office pays a fixed subsidy to the Union Company for the conveyance of the Sin Franciaco mails up and down the coast. To have sent the Hinemoa to the Manukau to wait the arrival of the mail would not have relieved the department from any portion of this, and it

would have involved the expenditure of a considerable ram forthes ike of expediting by a fjw hours the delivery of the mails for Wellington and the Su>uiu. No one supposed, or could have supposed in view of the arrangements made, that it oould have been advantageous to have had the Hinemoa waiting in Manukau. Fog in the Atlantic caused those arrangements to fail, and when the failure became known no hurrying or expenditure in connection with the Hinemoa could have expedited the delivery of the mails hero or in the South.