The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1878.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 339, 17 July 1878, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, JULY 17, 1878.

British Mails, via San Francisco, arrived in Auckland on Thursday, the 4th instant—just a fortnight ago. The Patea portion has not yet arrived ; yet to-morrow the outgoing mail for Great Britain via San Francisco closes. The Postmaster appears to have no knowledge of the whereabouts of the mail. The probabilities are that it has been passing New Plymouth, with the Taranaki portion, backwards and for-

wards between Manukau and Nelson. So long as rough (veather prevails, there will be little chance of a landing being effected, and the mails may continue to pass and repass New Plymouth, ibis may be continued until the arrival of the next mail steamer from ’Frisco. It does seem odd that while communication between remote places should be so regular, better arrangements cannot be made in regard to coastal services. There can be no question but that great inconvenience is caused even to the small townships along this coast by nonarrival, within reasonable time, of the British mails. If it were a matter which could not be remedied, then the public would bo inclined contentedly to pat up with the inconvenience. We do not, however, consider it at all an irremediable evil. It just requires that a little common sense should be exercised by those on the steamer in charge of the mails. When a landing is impracticable at New Plymouth, the mails should be carried on to Wellington. Coaches run daily between Wellington and Wanganui, also between Wanganui and Rawer a. Should the mails not be landed at Now Plymouth, and they were taken on to Wellington, they could be immediately passed on by coach to Patea, and would be delivered within four days of passing New Plymouth. This is one of the advantages of daily coaches. Coaches leave New Plymouth twice a week for Hawera (Tuesdays and Fridays), mails and passengers arriving in Carlyle on Wednesdays and Saturdays. With but a twice-a-weck coach service, it seldom happens that the steamer arrives at New Plymouth just right for catching the coach. It g nerally happens otherwise. Take the last mail. It arrived in Auckland on a Thursday evening, A steamer being in waiting, the Southern mails are promptly forwarded to Onehunga by train. The tide suiting, there would have been nothing to hinder the steamer sailing, and being off New Plymouth next clay. That day being Friday, the coach for Hawera would have started. Supposing even the Patea portion of the mail had been landed at New Plymouth, it would in that case have had to await the departure of the next coach—five days—which, with the day iu transit, would make six days before the mail could, iu the ordinary course, arrive in Carlyle. Under the most favoiable circumstances, supposing the ’Frisco steamer arrived in Auckland on a Sunday, and the mail was delivered by coastal steamer at New Plymouth on Monday, it could then be forwarded by Coach on Tuesday, and would arrive here on Wednesday. That would be four days between Auckland and Carlyle. Had the mail been taken on by steamer, say, leaving Auckland on a Sunday, it would have been off New Plymouth early on Monday morning, and in Nelson the same evening, ancl would have arrived at IVellington on the afternoon of Tuesday, ready to be passed on by Coach to Wanganui on Wednesday, and would actually reach Carlyle, and other townships along the coast, but one day later than, under the most favorable circumstances, it could have been forwarded via New Plymouth. As it most frequently happens that the mails are delivered at New Plymouth on a day ■ which does not fit in with the departure of the bi-weekly coach, and that, consequently, they have to lie one, two, or three days at New Plymouth before they can be forwarded, we are of opinion that it would be better at all times that the mails for Patea Oonnly should be taken on to Wellington and then sent by coach, which would enacre their delivery, within reasonable time. It seems down-right absurd that a landing being impracticable at New Plymouth on the mail being first brought down, it should be taken back again, with the risk of being passed on to Manukau, and perhaps back again to Nelson. Power should be given to those in charge of the mail, once it should have passed Now Plymouth, or indeed, if the time of landing did not fit in with the bi-weekly Conch, to have it forwarded to Wellington, and then it would come by Coach up the coast. Instead of having frequent delays as now, we could calculate on getting delivery within four or at most five days of the arrival of the mail in Auckland. As steamers do the coastal service, when the British mails are aboard, at quicker speed, several hours are saved in the run between Auckland and Wellington. That sometimes would mean a day earlier for the arrival of the mail at Carlyle, supposing it was sent that way. The prospect of a daily coach between New Plymouth and Hawera is remote. We therefore think, until such times as the roads are reliably good, or the railway put through, the British mails should be at all times sent via Wellington, to avoid the inconvenience now frequently experienced.