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Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 271, 8 October 1867, Page 2

It is high time that the inauager of the Panama, New Zealand, and Australian Royal Mail Compauy should be made acquainted with the man tier in which the desire of the Company to cultivate the West Coast trade is being cou_ stantly thwarted by the actions of the Company's agent at Hokitika. Apart from the great inconvenience and loss which are occasioned to the travelling, public, the interests of the Company are allowed to suffer to an extent which we fancy is hardly appreciated at headquarters. It is quite natural for any local agent of the Company to first consult the demands and exigencies" of his own port, but there is a limit to this; and it is time that this limit should be fixed. Time after time the passengers waiting for shipment at Greymouth have been disappointed, through not being able to embark in the steamers announced as being fixed to call here. The Greymouth agent is reduced to this position: that whilst given to understand that such and such a steamer will call off the port with passengers and freight ou a certain day, he cannot guarantee even the least chance of fulfilling the promise. The Panama Company is fortunate enough _in possessing in Greymouth an agent who most industriously cousultsits interests. Those who are on the spot can testify to the assiduity with which he endeavors to further the welfare of the Company; and they can also bear testimony as to the manner, in which his efforts are defeated by circumstances which, in most cases, could be avoided were the intentions of the Company more thoroughly seconded by the Hokitika agent. Greymouth is only a; small port we are aware, but still i|- is capable of contributing a considerable amount of profit to the Company if only due facilities were afforded it. The fact that the arrival or departure of. the steamers at or from this port is so exceedingly urcertain has the effect of depriving the Company of a great deal of fraffic. It has become popularly understood that the chances of intending passengers by any of the Panama Company's loits being able to embark^here are so remote that only those who cannot avoid running the risk book here. The majority of passengers prefer to take any chance steamer from Hokitika or elsewhere, rather than subject themselves to- the vexatious delays which are becoming the rule in the case of the Panama Company's boats. We know, of many instances in which passengers originally wishful to proceed to Sydney by the direct boat, would, rather than wait the uncertain chance of the Panama Company's steamer, take passage to Melbourne by the boat of another company. And the evils of this want of due attention to the port do not operate prejudically on the passenger traffic alone, but tend seriously to damage, a very lucrative and important-branch of the Company's trade —the conveyance of gold. It is a very important matter for the Banks that they should, be able to calculate with some sort of certainty on their shipments .-being duly made. Every break in their arrangements produces an amount of incon^enierice wHch

can scarcely be appreciated by the out. sicte public. And it is hardly likely that the banks here will pub themselves .but of the way to encourage the Company, when, in so many instances, they aresubjected to disappointment, The most glaring instance pf miamanagenient that has' occurred is that relating to the Airedale, which was announced to leave this, port on Wednesday lust. The steamer arrived at HoWtika • in her usual roiite in due time; passengers were booked, and a large and valuable freight of gold was waitiug shipment, here.. It being impracticable to com■munipate with lier at Hokitika on her arrival she was detained by the a^ent there. She might have been tendered here on two or. three days during the time she was waiting uup'rofitably outside Hokitika, but although there was not an ounce ' of gold waitiug shipment there, she was kept until so late a time that she was compelled to proceed at. once direct to Wellington in order to catch- the outward Panama boat, The Company not only loses the freight on 10,000 ozs of gold, but ' it "loses the prestige which the conveyance of treasure gives the line, .. The loss is greater than appears on the face of the transaction. It is very essential to the success of the Company that its Pauama boats should cut out the sailing vessels, in taking gold to England, and this can only be done by ensuring greater certaiuty and despatch. These conditions being wanting, the Banks are not likely to encourage the line. Take, for instance, the case of th.c 10,000 ozs, of gold that were waiting _, the Airedale here : of course, the Banks ship gold to regulate their exchanges, and any disturbance of their arrangements must produce incalculable inconvenience. The advices of shipment went by the njaij, and certain arrangements were contingent on that shipment being made. Through the laches of the Steam Company or its Agents this shipment is. prevented, and thus clip .whole of .'the arrangements connected with it are entirely dislocated. - The Hokitika Agent has, to a certain extent, reduced his culpability— for we can call it nothing else- — with i-egard to the. non-despatch of the Airedale to Greymouth on Friday ; but that does not absolve him of the charge of h Aang unnecessarily detained the steamer from Tuesday until that day, nor from haying neglected to iustructthe Captain to call oil" the port on Saturday, when she could have been tendered. Even had she remained Tiere until Suuday morning at daylight sho could have received .her freight, and still have ' caught .the Pauama boat. She could be kept knocking about Hokitika for five days, but could not be allowed to delay her voyage a single tide at Greymouth, although the most valuable portion of her freight was waiting here for her. A. few more such instances of neglect, and the Panama Co.'s steamers will lose all the trade which, we believe, the General Manager, Captain Benson, is so desirous to cultivate at this port.