The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1879.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 5682, 16 June 1879, Page 2

The New Zealand Times (PUBLISHED DAILY). MONDAY, JUNE 16, 1879.

It is not many days since news from England reached Wellington,'of the formation of a company to undertake the task of severing the Isthmus of Panama with a canal. Welcome as such news was ,to all , dwellers in New Zealand, and especially to’ Wellington, which Would thereby almost necessarily be made a port of call, if not also a place for transshipment for much of the American and Anglo-Australian trade, we now desire to draw attention to a proposal brought forward’ by a correspondent in another column, which is of even more immediate importance to ‘ the colony as a whole, if tho suggestions made by Mr. Menzxes were carried out. He proposes that the contract time for tho 1

mail service shall be shortened from 42 to 33 days to Auckland, and is also able to ppint out clearly how it could be done. In addition to this he comments on the delay caused in the delivery of the New Zealand mails in the South Island through their being landed at Auckland instead of at some more central port. Before proceeding further, it may be well to explain that we believe that the second point raised is one of minor importance so far as the colony is concerned. We should rejoice to see this city made the port of arrival for the mails, but are satisfied that the claims which can be advanced in her favor are so self-evident and incontrovertible that in course of time they must prevail. The rival jealousies of other places are bound to die out, and the general advantages to be reaped by Wellington being appointed the mail terminus will then meet with public recognition. Wo are not in a position to check the accuracy of the statement made by Mr. Mbnzies in regard to the consumption of coal by the trans-Atlantic steamers ; but we know that he has understated his case in regard, to the time required to cross the American continent. The fastest trip on record across from New York to San Francisco was made by a transcontinental train, which left New York on the Ist June, 1876, and reached San Francisco on the morning of the 4th, having' accomplished the passage under 84 hours, or exactly 40 minutes, less than three full days and a half. The trip of 3377 miles was made without stoppage and without accident we believe. The rate, maintained was almost exactly 40 miles an hour, and was of course exceptional in point of speed, but the five days allowed by our correspondent only requires an average speed to be maintained of a trifle less than 30 miles an hour—-by no means an extravagant estimate for a mail train. The trade maxim that time is money is quite as applicable to the despatch of mails as to other branches of business. Our correspondent deserves the thanks of the community for having sailed attention' to the easy-going system adopted both in the trans-continental and wans-Pacific service in regard to the Australasian mails, as compared to the trans-Atlantic .service. The enormous reduction in the time proposed, amounting to a practical diminution of one-fourth of the whole distance from England will doubtless, strike our readers with as much surprise’ as ourselves. This is proposed to be accomplished by the employmentof steamers consuming no more coal per diem than the boats at present employed upon the line. That, these boats are by no means perfect, must be evident to anyone who has read the numerous accounts both in the Home and in the colonial journals of the dangerous passage across .from New, Zealand in the City of, Sydney some time ago. The public, have a right to expect a first-class service in return for a high subsidy, and to demand that the rate of transmission.shall,be. kept abreast pf the times. The subsidy given is very large, anil 1 it certainly fails to ; Accomplish its object, if it provides only, a secondclass instead of a first-class rate of speed m t'he’boats employed. Tt would doubt-, less be,;a very difficult matter to frame an agreement under which : contractors could be compelled to increase the rate of speed in ’ accordance’ with , economical improvements introduced into ocean steam , navigation. But by entering into ’ short-dated agreements only, or by inserting a proviso under which the Government might at anytime annul any mail contract on payment of a ’fair and reasonable forfeit, it would be, easy enough in the future 'to 'guard the colony against the danger of being saddled with the payment of a heavy subsidy for the transmission of The mails' at a rate of speed far below that enforced or at least attained, on other far more stormy ocean routes.' ' ■

There is another somewhat important consideration...involved in the consideration of this question. At present via Brindisi the average time required from London to. the" Bluff is about 48’to 50 ■ days ; .Dunedin.is in,point of time about equidistant from'London by cither route. If the suggested shortening ‘ were carried into effect the competition-:.of the Suez route would bet very little felt by the San Francisco line, and the latter might even compete successfully with the. P. and O. service for a very large proportion of tile Australian mails for Europe.; 38 days to Sydney as against 43 to 45 via Suez as at present, would presenti very consideiable attractions to English’ correspondents. The, incidental advantages which; would accrue, to the colony by thtis’entering into a closer relationship with ,the mother country are obvious,..and; have been recapitulated almost ad nauseam . The tendency of the age is to recognise the colonies as, important sections of one empire. The closer they can be dravvn together by,improving the means of communication, the more intimate and truly homogeneous will • the British Empire become. :■ ■ ’ ’ . ' ’ln ’ conclusion, it may be well to point out that the question of land versus water carriage is likely soon 'to' bo brought tinder discussion for, the transmission of, mails, and passengers from Great Britain to Aus-, tralia via America; ‘ If' the Isthmus of Panama is successfully pierced by M. db Less kps, the Pacific railway will be thre.atened'with' a dangerous rival for the remunerative and growing through traffic ■at present monopolised by the railway company.- Seeing that the Canal Company is, mot yet fairly established, the present tii.ne would, be singularly appropriate for entering into negotiations for a rapid trans-continental service from New York to San Francisco ; our Yankee neighbors would be quite content ter give ■ the : colonies an accommodation service only, so long as there was no fear of the business’passing into other hands ; blit once" threatened with a bold rival they would doutless en’ ter into a keen competition with all the energy and determination for which they are noted. We have heard it said that no one but a Scotchman- can succeed in making a good- bargain with 'a Yankee, and we therefore commend the iindertaking .to the attention, of our present Minister for Public "Works. He has a fa.ncy for mail contracts, but so far as we know he never dreamt of being able to establish a thirtythree days’ service, such as Mr. Menzies sketches as quite feasible. If his fellpwMihisters would give Mr. Macandrew carte ilanehc to.make what he considered the best “arrangement possible for New Zealand by the San Francisco route, and

would allow him to fix upon whatever ports of arrival and departure he chose, we believe that a service, from London to •New Zealand in thirty-one days might possibly become an established fact ;,ihis would be a highly satisfactory outcome to the negotiations. It is quite 'needless to remind our readers that under Mr. Macandßew’s - care, the' route adopted would most undoubtedly be the London-to-Dnnedin line, via San Francisco ; but if he could accomplish the undertaking, the colony at large might well agree to grant to Mr. Macandrew and to his pet particular city such an appropriate acknowledgement of his services.'