THE The Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1869.

Grey River Argus, Volume VIII, Issue 593, 4 November 1869, Page 2

THE The Grey River Argus. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1869.

The proposed, or as it possibly may now have become, the decided alteration in the overland mail service between Hokitika and Christchurch is a matter of very great consequence to the whole of Westland. The service has undoubtedly been a costly one — four thousand pounds annually having been the subsidy paid to the contractors; and, during the time that Westland enjoyed constant and rapid steam communication with Australia and other parts of this Colony, it was probably more or less a luxury which might have been curtailed without producing any appreciable inconvenience. But as matters are likely to stand in the course of a month or two the overland service with Christchurch will be indispensable to the commercial and general public of Westland. As our readers may remember, the House of Representatives last session passed a resolution, on the motion of Mr Macandrew, the Superintendent of Otago, to the effect that all subsidies to both Intercolonial and Infcerprovincial steamers should cease. Acting upon this resolution, the Executive reduced the vote for general mail services by £8000, leaving only the sum of £2500 to be available for gratuities to steamers bringingthe mails. Setting aside the question of whether the House exercised a wise economy in this matter, it is of importance to point out the probable effect which the withdrawal of the subsidies will have on Westland's means of postal communication. The ordinary steamboat traffic between Westland and Australia has of late fallen off to such an extent as to make it probable that Bteamers from or to Melbourne will be laid on only at infrequent and irregular intervals. Under such circumstances, and supposing, as is very probable, that the regular steam communication with Australia will only be maintained with Otago, Canterbury, and Wellington, Westland will be left entirely dependent for any certain mail service upon the Hokitika and Christchurch coach. Under such circumstances a weekly service only with Christchurch would be utterly inadequate to the requirements of the County, would entail serious loss upon the commercial community, and be productive of great inconvenience to the general public. It appears that the proposal to reduce the service has originated in representations made by the Provincial Government of Canterbury to the Inspector of Post Offices who happened to be visiting Canterbury officially a few days ago. Of course the expected alteration in the route of the steamers from Australia makes the overland service of much less consequence to Canterbury than it must always be so long as the mails first arrive at Hokitika, and with this view the Canterbury Executive, fancying they see an opportunity for effecting asa\ing, intimated to the Inspector that a less frequent service than twice a week would be sufficient. We don't blame the Canterbury Government at all in the matter ; they had a right to secure a saving to themselves if they could manage it. But it appears to us that Mr Hoos has been wanting in discretion in signifying his assent to the proposal without consulting either the commercial or general public. We believe there is a Chamber of Commerce in Hokitika, and it would have been an easy matter to have communicated with that body with regard to the matter. It is perfectly true that Mr Hoos was, as it were, driven into a corner by the impatience of the Post Office Inspector, and he appears to have sent his consent without sufficient deliberation. Our Hokitika contemporary of Tuesday contains a report of a public • meeting upon this subject, at which copies of the telegrams that passed between the Inspector of Post Offices, the County Chairman, and the Postmaster at Hokitika. "The first was from Mr Gray, the : Inspector of Post Offices in Christchurch, to the Postmaster here, and ran as follows :■— ' Superintendent of Canterbury i wishes service to Hokitika to be weekly, on account of expense, and that it is s ample accommodation. Would you ascer- ; tain if County Chairman has any objec- • tions 1 It would make LI3UO difference. Reply immediately.' The next was the 1 reply :— ' County Chairman cannot give opinion on Canterbury service till tomorrow morning.' Mr Hoos then telegraphed : — 'Do you decline to maintain 5 the mail service between Hokitika and I Christchurch twice weekly.' To this the i Superintendent of Canterbury replied — ' The question is one which rests with - General Government to decide.' Mr r Gray then ' telegraphed again— 'Be sure > and telegraph first thing in the morning. • The schedule goes by Airedale to-morrow. ' Superintendent demurs to Canterbury paying more than half the weekly service.' ' To this the Postmaster here, Mr Stevenr son, replied— 'County Chairman thinks weekly services might be tried, say, for \ three months. Not much anxiety shown [ here on the subject.' This elicited a : reply from Mr Gray — 'Mr Hoos must decide either for once a week or twice

a week for the whole year. No person would contract for it otherwise ; and he must recollect that Canterbury will not pay for more than half of the cost of a weekly service. Reply.' The conclusion of the telegraphic correspondence was from Mr Stevenson as follows : — ' Chairman decided on weekly service.' " The latter portion of Mr Gray's telegram conveys a false impression, and that impression may have rested on the mind of Mr Hoos. He says Canterbury { will not pay for more than half the cost of a weekly service," whereas the fact is that Canterbury can have no voice in the matter of the division of cost except through its representatives in the General Assembly, by which body the money is voted. If the General Government decide upon the continuance of the bi-weekly service, Canterbury will have to pay half until an alteration is made by the Assembly. It is to be hoped that the expressions of public opinion in Hokitika and Greymouth will not be without effect upon the General Government, and that it will at any rate continue the present service. Whether or not this service could be performed at a less cost we cannot say; possibly it might, but so far as the interests of Westland are concerned, a biweekly mail is absolutely necessary, and is worth even paying a little more than the bare half cost. We trust that the Committees that have been formed to communicate with the General Government will be sufficiently active and energetic as to secure the continuance of the present mail service. Since writing the above a telegram has been received in town from Mr Elliott Elliott, Secretary of the Post Office, Wellington, by the Committee appointed at the public meeting, as follows: — "The arrangement for } Christchurch and Hokitika mail was made with the concurrence of the Superintendent of Canterbury and the Chairman of the County Council of Westland, and cannot now be altered."