Untitled

Southland Times, Issue 556, 7 September 1866, Page 2

The Panama mail service bas long been looked for, and every imaginary benefit tbat could possibly arise from the opening up of new connections with distant countries have been eagerly advanced. We grant that the connection of the AustraUas witb America and Europe via Panama, is an eveoi that may be of great service to .New Zealand ; still it is possible to pay too dearly for our whistle. What will the Southern Provinces gain by this mail contract ? As far as Southland and Otago ara concerned, it will be loss, all loss, unless far different arrangements are made, than at present exist. Tbe English news via Panama, must for a considerable time to come, be forestalled by that brought by the Suez line, but in the majority of cases the American news* will be much earlier. If the colony could afford to keep up two services, no objection would be offered to the intensified affection with which the Panama line appears to be viewed by the Wellington or central party. To them, from a postal point of view, it is perhaps more satisfactory than previous contracts, but to the extrtm3 Provinces, both the North aud South it is worse than useless. We are called upon to pay increased charges for postage, for what ? Not certainly for increased benefits, but to bolster up the " Empire City. " What are tbe facts? The New Zealand G-o---vernment have undertaken responsibilities in order to secure a -mail service via Panama in excess of the capabilities of tbe colony, and in order to meet these liabilities, proposed to increase postal taxation, and shadow forth an inclination to withdraw from the contract witb Victoria for the July mail. If this is done a serious injustice to all tbe provinces but Wellington will be the result. The very intimation that the G-eneral Government can even for a moment contemplate such action should be sufficient to arouse all the members of the Chamber of Commerce to emphatically protest against any such arrangements. The proposed changes in the postal charges are open to serious objection/ We bave before expressed a conviction that a penny postage on newspapers was a fair and legitimate means of increasing tbe revenue, and we reiterate it, but the proposed change oversteps tbe bounds of reason and if adopted will become offensive to the colonist, and not profitable to tbe Grovernment. The pubbe as a mass are | not unreasonable, and but few knowing tbe great expense of transporting mails over unmade roads and unbridged rivers, would object to this tax. But when the General G-overnment calmly propose to place an ocean postage of three-pence on newspapers sent via Panama, the scheme assumes a very different complexion — it would in fact be a prohibitory enactment that would be oppressive in principle and abortive in its working. The General Grovernment may in the simplicity of tbeir centralizing desirings, rub their hands with joyous gusto, imagining that when once the three-penny postage has been santioned they can stop tbe New Zealand subsidy to the P. and 0. Company and force the whole colony to adopt the Panama line. How would this work ? The number of papers sent from the provinces would not be more than one twentieth of the number tbey would be at one penny; tbe people of the old countries would be deprived of the information of the progress of th© colony, immigration would be suddenly checked, and dire mischief worked. In compensation i'or this what have we ? The Panama service,— a large expenditure for steamers to come from ona end of tho world to the athsr fas the yxsym of ceding a few

half-empty mail bags. The postal revenue would be diminished to an enormous extent ; and the colonists to atn au t made discontented and demonstrative. 1 Another objectionable feature of the new portage ach#me if tb« increased charg* upon inter-provinciaHetters, Tbe great problem submitted for solu. tion is what is to be our mail service ? It would appear that the Panama mail contract is still in tbat glorious state of uncertainty that has ever surrounded all Cbosbie "Ward's negotiations. It has been over and over again asserted that New South Wales was a party to the contract. "What is the 'fact ? Upon a kind of vague acknowledgment from the New South "Wales Grovernment tbat they were not averse to join in the contract, Mr Wabd starts on his missiou and enters into arrangements which are all on one side, and that — his own pet scheme. New South "Wales now demurs to playing '* second fiddle," and tbe question of the terminus is still an open question, and it is possible that the whole of the responsibility of the Panama contract may be thrown on tbe sboulders of New Zealand. The Southern Cross, 15 th August, writing upon the subject, says: — " lt is at least ridiculous for Wellington to make an outcry about the want of good faith on the part of tbe Pre nier, or of the New South Wales Grovernment. i The question has merely resolved itself into a veiy simple form indeed, and it is one easy to answer. That question is, whether we prefer the aggrandisement o f the little town of Wellington, or the upholding of the great Panama contract. Every effort that has been made to reconcile the two things, since first Mr Ward violated bis trust as a servant of the colony to do this, has failed, and we find our3elves once more face to face with the bare alternative. New South. Wales wants to help us, but on condition tbat we treat her fairly. How can we fancy that sbe will be ready to pay £55,000 a year to get no more than we give Victoria for nothing ? How can we imagine that she ever eutertained the notion of doing such a thing, unless she was to get an equivalent in some form ? That equivalent is plainly the advantages to be derived from being the terminus of the line. For tbis she expressed her willingness to pay, and tbis, if she is to pay, we may~depend upon it she must have. Again, we repeat that this is the alternative — £55,000 a year, or whatever disadvantage Wellington may suffer from being degraded from her position of a grand terminus. Feeling and self interest may easily warp the judgment of Wellington politicians ; but it is less easy to see what should make the colony at large so blind to its own interests." Is it in contemplation of the withdrawal of New South Wales that tbe Greneral' G-overnment have debated the question of cuttiig tbe connection with Victoria in the levy line? If it is, it should be immediately protested agaiust. The foregoing remarks have had a colonial tinge. We have a provincial grievance of whicli to complain. The Southland mails were two days later than they should be, from the reason that the steamer that brought them to Dunedin was not under contract to go any further, and consequently they had to be forwarded per overland mail, much to the inconvenience, and unquestionably to the disadvantage of the inhabitants of Southland.