THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 19, Issue 1329, 21 May 1872, Page 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

(From the Cororaandel Mail.) We are told that the cause of the nondelivery of the New Zealand Mails this: month wa>* the bursting of the steam? chest of the boat that left San Francisco on the 27th March last. When only one day out the vessel broke down and: had to return for repairs. We have no> doubt whatever that tbii* steamer was. the Moses. Taylor—more popularly, known, as the " Rolling Moses ! n —an old tub which was long ago. condemned as too slow and unsafe for the trade between Panama and San Francisco; a: boat nevertheless which appears to beconsidered suitable for conveying the New Zealand mails between* San. Francisco and Honolulu. In the original contract Mr Webb, it was specified that the Mose& Taylor might be employed for a lime* provided, she could run at the requisite speed, but it is a notorious feet that she has never once made the passage, within the contract time, and has broken down on ihree separate occasions; Just about twelve months ago—sometime in May of last year— when on the voyage between San Francisco and Honolulu,, the Moses Taylor burst up*, and six human lives were sacrificed—five of the firemen and an engineer beins killed by the steam.. The latter survived for some little time, and in his. dying statement declared that the piessure of steam at I lie time of the accident, was very much below that permitted by the official certificate. When the steamer arrived at the Sandwich Islands tieNew Zealand passengers, who were there waiting, to be taken on to San Francisco, declined to embark—eveui after repairs bad been made—until a certificate had been obtained regardingthe safety of the steamer. Moreover, Mr Vogel himself does not appear have been satisfied with this, sample of American mail boats; and we know as. a matter of fact, that Lloyd's at. San Francisco examined and reported on the boilers of the Mose- Taylor on his behalf. Since that time the steamer seems to have been running regularly,, and there is a general impression that she broke down at the time the "snowed up." storv was brought soprominently forward, as the snow onlv detained the mails, for a few days, and latest dales brought from San Franciscoshowed that there had beena very long v and to this colony, a very serious delay on the voyage.. We must all admire the exemplary patience of Mr Vogel in regard to thus mail service, for since it was first started he has been perpetually making concessions to, and new '* arrangements " with Mr Webb, until we have been educated into the fashion of doing without our mails, and saying very little on the subject.. Mad the Suez line asked for such concessions there would have been a haw] of indignation from one end of New Zealand to the other, and an opposition line would no doubt ha'.e made its appearance,. But Mr Vogel lias managed to smother the murmurs of the people by invariably presenting tome other picture to their gaze. He has just now returned from Australia full of honors, and having made a new contract, asks us to tbrgeo the past. But what guarantee havewe that the future will be better than the past ] When the existing contract was made, was it not trumpeted forth, and proclaimed from the house-top asone of the finest things that had ever been done for the colony of New Zealand and especially good for the province of Auckland? Were there not columns of sentimental uiobish. written, to show that Mr Vogel was. a great, patriot for having made such, a contract %:. And what has been the result?. We are worse off tc-day than we were five' years ago in our mail arrangements, and are paying a very annual subsidy for a totally worthless service. Moreover, the support given by New Zealand to this American line has. prevented —as is well known to those conversant with public matters—a powerful and influential English Companytaking up the service and putting on large boats similar to those employed, on the P. and 0. line. We are gettingtired of the Micawber policy of Mr Vogel, and of boing perpetually asked, to wait for something better to turn up* in our mail arrangements.