THE TORRES STRAITS MAIL ROUTE.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 32, 2 September 1871, Page 16

THE TORRES STRAITS MAIL ROUTE.

The Sydney correspondent of the Melbourne " A«-gus," writing on the 10th inst, says:—Mr Fraser is busy in Sydney endeavoring to get support for his proposal to undertake the Torres Straits mail service by the agency of the Netherlands India Steam Navigation Company, but although he is everyway courteously received, I cannot say that his prospects are very bright. The Torres Straits route has always been somewhat of a favorite in Sydney. This preference had its origin many years ago, before we had any steam service Jat all, and when the Port Phillip territory was merely a district of New South Wales. In those days the ambition and the exclusiveness of Sydney could _ not tolerate a prior delivery of the mails at Melbourne,"* and the northern route was popular because by it Sydney was reached first. Those days have passed away, and the inexorable logic of facts has "killed absurd pretensions. But the Sydney feeling in favor of the northern route has been sustained by the large amount of Sydney interest in Queensland, andespeciallyin Northern Queensland. Amongst our leading politicians, Mr Robertson, who, in association with Captain Towns' firm, -played a conspicuous part in the occupation of the Carpentaria country, has always been in favor of doing something for the Straits route, and when in the previous Cabinet tried hard to get New Zealand and Queensland to pull together, and New South Wales to back them both in supporting the northern and American routes. But those negotiations broke down, and it is pretty clear now that the colonial support to the Straits line must come mainly from Queensland and New South Wales. Mr Fraser cannot offer us a quicker mail service than we have at present. He does not pretend that he can lay down the English mails in Sydney under 58 days, while by the Leuwin route it can be done in 48. What are we to gain, therefore, that shall be worth our share of the £27,000 asked for from the colonies ? No doubt it will be a pleasant passenger line, and the traveller landed at Singapore would have his choice of English, French, or Dutch steamers. But we cannot afford to be taxed merely to add to the comfort of travellers. Nor is it a very potent argument that Bavarian produce would be more readily supplied to Australia, because commerce must be left to find its own level. Moreover, the only link in the chain of steam communication which actually requires to be filled is that between Timor and Port Denison ; and spfar as mere communica;ion is concerned, the filling-in of that link would answer the purpose; and this might be done at a comparatively moderate cost.