THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 202, 27 August 1870, Page 2

THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

To tiik Editor of tiii: Nki.son h vexing iun. . SIR. — I observe in the columns of the Colonist, an indignant allusion to the way in which Nelson I is treated in tiie nutter of the San Franciso | Mail service, and a fbrcinie description of the "cold shade of negl.-ct being thrown over us.'' and I also notice that you have taken the matter up in the same strain, since you speak of the way in which " Nelson is being ignored." I do not wish to put myself forward as a champion of what you are pleased to call the schemes of the wily Yogel, nor to advocate the extravagance of the very expensive subsidy voted, nehher do I think our members are chargeable with injustice for not protesting against the subsidy on account, of the boats not calling at Nelson For the following reasons, however unpleasant they may be to us, one must not lose sigjit of the fact that our tidal harbour, has a depth uf water at ordinary tides which will only admit steamers of about 16 feet draft, and this is a complete obstacle to large boats of areat length and tonmuze. as I understand the class of vessels will be — say 2,000 tons — coming to this port. Again, taking into consideration the line of Kast Coast it must be apparent to anyone that vessels calling here would take at least two oays longer, thus delaying the delivery of the mail at Lyttelton ana Dunedin for the same period. This line of steamers may prove of considerable advantage to the province <>f Nelson, if by our efforts, assisted by the General Government, we can contrive to supply them with coal from our valuable and extensive coalfields, and I must refer you toaspeeehmadeby Mr. Ilal! this ssion in the House of KepreM-ntative-- — I quote from Hansard page X',0 — he says: — " The Grey cwi was even now obtained at the pit's mouth by contract at 4s. Cd. per ton, it and was quite clear that if there were facilities for transport, and for shipping coal, the whole of New Zealand wun'd be supplied whh native coal, in further confirmation of what he had stated he might i efer to the coal raised at Mount Koch fort, Nelson Province, specimens of which had been shown at the New Z.aland Exhibition at Dunedin. The quality of this coal was estimated at 145.000,000 tons and its quality was found equal not only to Australian but to Welsh coal. ' Now, if our coalfields can be made available for supplying these large steamers with coal, then nearly the whole of the subsidy would be recirculated throughout this province, and not, as in the case of the Panama service, the subsidywithdrawn from New Zealan I, and circulated in tbe Ports of Sydney and Newcastle. Kxtrav.igani'e in a Government is unpardonable if the money so sp^nt is immediately withdrawn from circulation in the country, bui it is bearable, and may be t ilerated, if circulated and spent upon labour within the country. By the next mail from the South, I hope to see that our Nelson members have been fully alive to the importance of this question, and Unit they "aye been urging the desirability of so far developing the Grey, Buller, and Collingwood coalfi ids as to enable them to meet the demand created by the new line of steamers. What advantages would accrue to New Zealand, could she open up a <oiil trade with the Western side of America, whtch now draws the principal portion of its supplies from Newcastle, New South Wales, in confirmation of which fact, I refer you to the San Francisco News of the World, of the lOdi of July, where it is stated that during the month eleven vessels, carrying 5.511 tons of coal, had arrived from Sydney and Newcastle. We must not lose sight of the fact that for the five years ending 3 1st December, 1868, the colony had spent £80 :l ,00'i upon imported coal. In what a different condition should we be were we able not only to keep this sum in the colony, but also to enrich ourselves by ireating a large export trade. If our mines are so developed as to enable us to supply the immense demand for coals that will be created by the new line of ocean steamers, it will matter little to us whether they call here or not ; we shall draw the greater portion of the subsidy, and Auckland, Wellington, and other places will be perfectly welcome to the comparatively small benefits conferred upon them by being appointed the ports of call. I am, &c, M. LIGHTBAKD.

THE WEEK. A summary of the news of the week may be contained in a very few words, for, except that we are seven days older than we were last Saturday, no change whatever has taken place in our condition. It has been a dull and a dreary week ; but little business has been doing iv the town, aud we have received no news of importance from the outlying districts. At Collingwood the crushing at the Perseverance Company's battery has been steadily proceeded with, and at Wangapeka the work of driving aud tunnelling is still being carried on, but the result of these operations has yet to be made known. Iv Wellington everything seems to be going on smoothly and satisfaclorily lo the Government, who are carryiug everything before them, and the most important session of her Parliament that _Sf>-w Zealand has yet seen, is likely to pass over without any serious opposition beinir offered to the gigantic changes proposed to be effected by the Ministry of the day. So far as Nelson interests are concerned, she might as well be a province in Timbuefoo, Madagascar, or any other far distant country, for, whatever the question before the House, she appears to be doomed to be entirely ignored. Is it a mail service to be established ? The name of Nelson is not mentioned among those dintrieis to be benefitted by the !*ow line. Mas a small community overrun the constable and found itselt at last, with a huge debt on its shoulders, and without the wherewithal to opeu up the country and make roads for its minimr population ? Nelson is weak in the Assembly, and, therefore, she must be compelled to render herself responsible for the debt incurred by her neighbor, whether she likes it or not. It matters not iv the least that she has hitherto been prudent to a decree, and has been blind to the fascinations of the money lender ; others have involved themselves in debt, and who so able to assist them, or so utterly unable to assert her right to be consulted in so momentous a question, as Nelson ? Therefore, let her be sacrificed without hesitation to tho clamors of those who wish to have a voice in the expenditure of her revenues. Such appear to be the views of the all powerful Government aud who shall dare to say them nay ? Talking of Governments and legislators reminds me of the exhibition made by one of our Provincial Councillors at Westport. I see that you have published a short report of the case tried iv the Resident Magistrate's Court in that town in which the highly-respected Mr. Eugene O'Conor played so prominent a part. This worthy gentleman appears to have run away with the notion that he created a most favorable impression in Nelson, and that his opinions have great weight with the Provincial Executive. He really should disabuse his mind of this erroneous idea as soon as possible, and should learn to understand that a fluency of language (occasionally coarse in the highest, or rather lowest, degree) does not always secure for a man that position to which this roaring " liou, ' as he delights to call himself, so evidently aspires. After the little ebullition of temper he has displayed at Westport, and which appears to have shown itself in an outhurst of language that would have done credit to a Billiogsgate fish wife, it seems to me that tha wisest course Mr. O'Conor could putsue would be to resigu his seat iv the Council, and make room for some more discreet gentleman, who had a little more command over that unruly member against whose vagaries we were cautioned some 1800 years ago. Our amusements this week have been confined to the Organ Committee's eutertaiumeut when, notwithstanding the wretched state of the weather, the house was moderately full, and all present were delighted with the raauner in which the programme was carried out. An endeavor has been made to provide an occasional evening's entertainment for the boys of Nelson, aud the first of these which took place on Thursday last ' proved so thoroughly successful that it is the inteution of the promoters to repeat tha experiment on Thursday next. For nextweek we are promised a treat in the acting of Mr. aud Mrs. Darrell, of whom the press throughout the colony speaks ia the highest terms. I hope that before this day week, something may "turn up," thus enabling me to make my next letter of more interest than is possible in the present depressing state of do-nothingness, F.

Eapid Telegraphy. — A new telegraph line is now heing constructed between New Yotk and Washington, forming a small section of wires that are intended to ramify in all directions through tbe country, by which cheaper aud more rapid telegraphy is expected to be realised. The instruments used are the recently patented telegraph improvements of George Little, of New Jersey. The messages to he sent arc prepared hy punching slots and circles through a strip of paper, which on hcing drawn through the telegraph instrument transmits corresponding electric signals. These use received and made visit le upon slrijis of chemically-prepared paper. Copies of messages may he dropped at all stations upon the line without interfering with the working of the instruments. The machines for preparing the message are quiie simple, and are operaled hy gills-. I\lr. 11. 1). Craig, one of the most experienced telegraph men in the country, states that as much business can he done •with lhe Little instrnments, using only one Aviiv. and thirty-tv o girls to pn-paic and copy the messages, at a total expense of 49 dollars per diem, as can be accomplished by means of lift een wires nnd firstclass Morse operators at an cxpem-c <■{' 120 dollars per diem. There is also a difference of fifteen to one in favor of the new system in the prime oo:-t and inaiuteniiin'c of v.ire^. Next to cheap postage j.nd quick mails, the peoj le want cheap telegraphy ; and Aye therefore widcnim anything that promises to bring it neout. — Sciiiiiiijlc - mericcui. Fur remainder oj' News sec Fourth patje