SOMETHING ABOUT POSTAL MATTERS.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 133, 29 August 1868, Page 4

SOMETHING ABOUT POSTAL MATTERS.

To the Editor of the Marlborouyh Express. Sin, —The Nelson Examiner, of the 30th July, , states the Report on the Postal Service of New Zealand has just been printed and laid before Parliament. It is singular, that, while this interesting document has been sent to Nelson and Christchurch, no copy has been sent to Blenheim. Perhaps “ where ignorance is bliss,” &c., may be true ; but, as the people of this “insignificant” province must help to pay the piper for this service, they might be allowed to know what they are paying for. The Examiner says,—“ We shall take an early opportunity of summarizing the various tables of which the Report is made up. ” If the Examiner will go through the Report—giving us text as well as sermon—we will most likely get to the end of it some time next year—about the time another Report is issued. The Examiner is very indignant at the Penny Postage collected on each newspaper, which is called a tax. Perhaps it might be abolished on all except those passing to and from England; but 1 put it to the Exaihiner whether it can be abolished in this case without gross injustice to New Zealand Tax payers. As the Duke of Montrose, in his report, states the Imperial Government —before the Panama contract was signed—distinctly refused to grant a subsidy for the service; they of course were aware that it could not answer for Australia, and there never was any intention of supporting a separate service for New Zealand. But the New Zealand Government —instigated by certain newspaper editors who know no more about the merits or demerits of mail routes than a Maori Runanga does of the pandacts of Justinian—established the line. New Zealand announced her intention of withdrawing her correspondence from the line (one-half the cost of which was defrayed by the Home Government), in favour of her own. In postal matters, New Zealand then ceased to be a colony. This colony deliberately increased the cost of the Suez line fully 30 per cent, to every -other colony, by the withdrawal of her correspondence; and diminished the British postal receipts by the amount of sea postage on the outward mail to New Zealand. As New Zealand is now to all intents and purposes an independent State in postal matters, she is treated as such. The British Government conveys the mail to and from Colon, (free of charge to fie w Zealand and New South Wales) and pays over to them the sea postage collected in England. The postage on letters is 6d. per half-ounce, and on newspapers 2d. each outwards. The Homo Government retains a penny as inland rate on each letter and newspaper, and credits the Colonies with fid. on each letter. But in addition to carrying them by the steamers of the Panama Company, subsidised solely at Colonial expense, they are to be conveyed across the Isthmus ot Panama. For this service the Panama Railroad Company charge 22 cents, per lb on gross weight of packages containing letters, and 8 cents, on gross weight of packages containing newspapers, patternparcels, book-packets, &c. It is thus plain that the Colonial Treasurers lose something by each English newspaper sent to Now Zealand via Panama, as the average net weight of English journals is 4 ounces. All the Isthmus transit dues aie payable in United States gold (not greenbacks). But by the agreement between the two Colonies, the charges of the Panamn Railroad Company are defrayed at the common expense, and in the same way as the whole postal revenue derived from the service is equally divided between the two Colonies; nun-contributing colonies are charged 20s. per lb. on gross weight of mails conveyed for them. Very recently the proprietors of the Melbourne Argus intended to make up a summary tor Europe, for transmission via Panama but on enquiry at the Melbourne Postoffice, were informed that the postage would be Is. 3d per oz. As this would have been more than 6s. per newspaper, no summary was sent. Although the Report has not been sent here, the Canterbury Times has given the heads of it. The steamer between Port Chalmers and Melbourne is to be cut off, and all connection with the Suez.line given up. And at some future period a line via £an Francisco is to be established, which is to convey the English, mail to New Zealand in. 42 days. Now for fear that the Examiner should follow the example ol the Lyttelton Times In puffing this project, I now beg to assure him that there is. no possibility, of conveying a mail via San Francisco in less than ,45, days to the Bay .of Islands, which implies 52,t0 Sydney, and .66,t0. Melbourne. And further, that it is "utterly Impossible to arrange.a fortnightly service from Australia and New Zealand by ah amalgamation of the Suez aiid Californian lines. 11 the despatches from Melbourne are arranged for intervals of If.days,,the .intervals from-Sydney will, he aiiei n-tcly 8 and 20 days, and from the Bay of islands 2 and. 26 days. If arranged for Intervals of. 14;d«'y* from Sydney, the intervals from. Mel-, bourne would be alternately 8 and 20 days, and from the Bay of Island.- 2 and 2fi days. It arranged tor intervals ol 11 days Ironi the Bay of Islands, the intervals a' Melbourne would bo 2 and 2(1 days, and at Syauoy 4 and 21 days. The expectation that the

British Government will pay -half the cost of a jumble, .such ns any of these three, arrangements for a fortnightly mail, can.only lead to disappointment. As the Mont Coins Summit Railway was opened in June, and the tunnel will be completed in 1870, it is pretty certain that the .Mediterranean depOt of the Suez line will be removed at latest,, in 1870, to Breodisi. This will be two days shorter than the present Marseilles line, or 46 to Melbourne, and 49 to Sydney, while the Californian will be at least; 62 to Melbourne, and 55 to Sydney. As there is besides no possibility of amalgamating the two routes for' a general service, and a< the .Californian will be inferior to the Suoz-Brendisi, or even to the Marseilles, to every colony in Australia, there can be no prospect of this route being adopted by Great Britain, aud I beg to warn the Examiner nottoputf it. This colony and New South Wales are now paying dearly for the blunders of their Governments. Now South Wales has had the cost of the English Mail Service increased from under £15,000 in,186&, to over £75,000 in 1867, and only receives £2,100 as share of postage on Panama line in exchange for £55,000 moiety of steam subsidy. The Home Government has most unequivocally declared that they are willing to bear half,the cost of a fortnightly service (via Suez) to all the colonies; but they will not give sixpence to any other. If any Colony wishes to have its mail conveyed by any other route it can! have them, but at its owii sole cost. Of course, if New Zealand likes to gratify her childish Jealousy of Australia or New South Wales of Victoria, they must pay for their folly. The cost of the Anglo-Australian Mail Service is nearly £500,000 per annum Of this sum Great Britain contributes £86,135, and the colonies the remainder. This is what the colonies have got by interfering in the business of the imperial Government. They get up needless and useless lines, and cannot induce Great Britain to assist them. The total Postal Revenue cannot exceed £lpo,ooo, or a third of the cost —Yours, <fec , Hknry Cooes. Blenheim, August 27th, 1808.