THe Southland Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1866.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 209, 29 January 1866, Page 2

THe Southland Times. MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1866.

The Postal Service of New Zealand, is the theme for perpetual complainings. At every turn it presents, like a kaleidoscope, new features, each as varied as the one preceding it — with the exception, that one character is ever visible — uncertainty always appears on the discs. The more you investigate the matter, the more complicated it becomes. The General Government and the contractors seem to vie with each other, to insure its disorganisation and intensify its uncertainty. It has long been a "stock" subject in Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia, and New Zealand. It has been annually discussed in the Parliaments, and the Chambers of Commerce, and written about by the press both in the colonies and at home — still, instead of improving, it continues to go "from bad to worse " — at the present time it is clustered round with complications which it does not appear easy to remove. We have before us evidence that the P. & O. Company are arrogantly indifferent to our remonstrance, and that the conduct of the late General Government has broken faith with Otago and Southland, and in a measure, contributed to procrastinate the perfecting of a mail arrangement which would secure regularity and be satisfactory to the public. It appears that some time since the Victorian Government remonstrated, through the Imperial authorities, with the P. & O. Company upon the unsatisfactory manner in which they were carrying out their contract with Australia. A reply to that remonstrance has been received from the Company by the Secretary of the General Post Office London, which has been published in the Argus. That paper, in commenting upon the letter, says : — " The Company have " amply justified all that has been said to " their disparagement. No testimony " could be more conclusive than their " own confession, and no condemnation " could be stronger than their own " defence. On four successive occasions " they own the justice of their impeach- " ment. The explanation begins in the " February of last year, and betwen that " date and July, twice the Bombay broke " down, and twice the Madras, on the " Australian line ; while the next month's " mails were delayed by the piston of the '' Golconda, near Suez. This is the chapter " of accidents for the first half-year, over " which their exculpation extends, and " which could be materially enlarged by " the lapses of the second half. The " next time they condescend to make an " apology, their task will not be so " quickly done. They will have to ex- " plain how it was that the Jeddo was " four days late in July, the Northam " four days in August, the Madras eight " days in September, the Ellora, nine days " in November (the October mail being " punctual), and the Madras four days in " December." Yet, notwithstanding all these admissions, they have the cool audacity and impertinence to write : — " Passing to the reported proceedings in " the Parliament of Victoria, and to a " letter they have received from their " local agent, they find that, unless some " guarantee be given that the service be " more regularly performed than during " the last six or eight months, the Go- " vernment will give notice to the Impe- " rial Government that the contract " shall cease at the expiration of two " years. The directors do not know what " better guarantee for regularity can be " afforded than that which exists in the " identity of the interests of the two " parties principally interested in the " contract, namely, the public of Australia " and this country, and the company. "If the company do the work with " regularity, they do it at a moderate and " estimated cost ; if they do it irregularly, " whether that irregularity arises from " accidents to machinery or detention in " consequence of adverse weather, they " do it at a very heavy cost, and expenses "of all kinds are entailed. The fracture '* of a shaft is a casuality the directors " would give a large sum to avoid, if fur- " nished with the means of knowing that "it was about to happen ; but these mis- " fortunes occur without the slightest " warning, and a guarantee against them " and their consequences would be simply " worthless. ****** " It should also be borne in mind that " the directors did not ask for, and do not " receive, a rate of subsidy that would " Ratify the employmenti of ghipa of the

" largest tonnage and power to be found "in the company's fleet ; and they 'have "just consented to an abatement from " that subsidy, which will have to be " compensated by receipts from other " sources or by diminished expenditure." The most extraordinary part of the revelations developed in this communication is, that the Imperial Government has shamefully connived at the continued breaches of the contract by the Company, — from a note appended, it appears that during the five and a-half years, from January, 1860 to June, 1885, the company has only been called upon to pay for twenty-six days' late arrival, while it has received premiums, during that time, for eighty-three days' early arrival. It would be utterly fruitless to enquire how such could be, inasmuch as it is plain that the most censurable favoritism, if not rank jobbery, is at the bottom of it — sufficient evidence of the truth of the view* we take is found in in the calculations made for the South Australian Register, Adelaide, from which it appears that during the the last two years — less than half the time above mentioned — they have been eighty-three days behind their contract' yet the company, as full justification, of their impertinent communication, parade, as a fact, that in five years and a half it has only been fined for twenty-six days of [ only 26 ] irregularity. That an unmistakeable injustice has been perpetrated upon the colonists, either by the reckless indifference or culpable manceuvering of the home authorities with the company is patent. It is monstrous that this state of things should be permitted to continue — the loss to New Zealand is enormous, through the constant irregularity of the P. & O. Company's steamers. Prompt action is required from the public to prevent the injustice being perpetuated. "We have a still greater grievance to complain of. There is treachery in the General Government's doings in this matter of postal communication. In the first place, we" find that in reply to the inquiries from home, as to whether New Zealand would be a party to the fresh contract entered into with the P. & O. Company? the reply was evasive and indistinct. But what affects us most — of what we have most to complain — is the want of consistency and good faith shown by the ex-Postmaster, Major Eichaedsok". When that gentleman took office in the Weld Ministry, it was understood that one of tlie conditions was, that the Otago and Southland and Victoria service should not be tampered with. But what is the fact ? We find that in the estimates prepared by the late Government, only six months' contribution to the Suez line was provided for ; but this is not all. The ex - Postmaster - General (Major Eichaedsow) wrote to the Postmaster General of Yictoria, and states: — "I " have the honor to inform you that it is "in contemplation to withdraw the " subsidy hitherto granted to the steamers " running between Victoria and Otago, " but before coming to a final determin- " ation in the matter, I should be glad to " learn whether the Government of ""Victoria would be willing to contri- " bute towards the subsidy paid for this " service, in the event of its being con- " tinued, and if so, from what date and "to what amount." It is impossible to sufficiently strongly condemn such conduct as this exposes. Otago and Southland have just cause for vehement and unmistakeable denunciations. They cannot do without the Victorian and Suez service. It is folly to suppose that the Panama line can be efficiently worked for a considerable time to come, but when that " expected time " shall arrive, the Victorian line will still be an essential. At no time has it been so important that the Postal Service question should be thoroughly understood as at the present — many changes must be made, and in order that those changes may prove beneficial, care and attention must be given ; the Provincial Councils of Otago and Southland must unite in denouncing the injustice which is likely to be exercised towards them — the Chambers of Commerce and the public must move in the , mattes— or the Southern Provinces will be deprived of even the slight benefit derived from the present service — erratic and unsatisfactory — a service which shouJdbe improved but cannot be dispensed" with. The question is one of the highest moment, and its discussion cannot be longer delayed.