Hawkes Bay Times. Nullius addictus in jurare verba magistri. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1870.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 780, 21 April 1870, Page 2

Hawkes Bay Times. Nullius addictus in jurare verba magistri. THURSDAY, APRIL 21, 1870.

Hardly has the pioneer mail steamer left the shores of New Zealand on the new trans-Pacific route which has recently been established, than we hear of other and rival schemes for the accomplishment of the same en d—that is, the transmission of mails and passengers from the colonies of New Zealand and Australia across the Great American continent, The service recently arranged for, it will be remembered, makes Sydney the terminus, and Auckland the port of call for New Zealand; but in another service now proposed it is probable that Melbourne will be made the terminus, and Wellington the New Zealand port. A gentleman said to be of high commercial standing in America, Mr Collie, is now in Wellington, acting on behalf of a wealthy steamboat proprietor, Mr Webb, of New York, en route for Australia, his mission being to negociate with the several Colonial Governments for the necessary contracts and subsidies for a regular monthly service. His plan offers several advantages over the estab lished service, the principal of which is the moderate subsidy required, as it is said that the United States Government is willing to contribute largely to a,ny Australian mail service in which the contractors are American subjects, and the mail steamers American vessels; but that they will notgiye anv such enconra^e-

ment to a foreign company. It is also proposed to employ a much higher class of vessels for the proposed service than that of the existing line, "vessels unequalled for speed, passenger accommodation, comfort, and safety," and well calculated to foster and develop the extensive traffic which is likely to exist, consequent on the opening of the great American railwav, between that country and the Australian colonies, a traffic which the United States Government is most anxious to establish. We can see no reason why both this and the already exist ing service may not be established. It would to some extent settle the vexed question of termini and ports of call. It would give this Colony especially what merchants have long wished for-—though with something like a forlorn hope,-—a cheap and rapid system of fortnightly communication with the mother country, — the whole service probably costing the Colony much less than it has hitherto paid for a more tardy monthly service , and the competition between two rival companies for the goods and passenger traffic wo-ild result in public benefit, as is sufficiently obvious. As yet, of course, we are in possession of bin one side of the case;' but Mr Collie's proposals have a very favorable appearance, and if it be true that the United States Government is prepared to bear so large a portion of the necessary subsidies that New Zealand will be called on for a merely nominal amount, we trust ere long to see this service also established. The only question which then remains, it appears to us, is whether the present service would be able to maintain its ground. We think it would, and that the two services might work in unison, and need not run counter to each other.