The Southland Times FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1870.

Southland Times, Issue 1192, 7 January 1870, Page 2

The Southland Times FRIDAY, JANUARY 7, 1870.

It seems an improbability that in these days, when the advantages of regular and rapid postal communication are universally recognised, a country so essentially commercial a3 New Zealand should be absolutely with out provision for its oceanic mail services, aud yet such is the fact at the present moment. Perhaps no department of the state has given more trouble to successive Onvernments, or been administered less to the satisfaction of the public, than that under the control of the Postmaster- General. Again and again questions of routes and subsidies have arisen to perplex and harrass both Executive and Legislature, only to be disposed of by some temporary compromise -with the various influences brought to bear on the central government. On no question of Colonial policy has the conflicting interests of the Provinces exercised a more baneful in-; fluence. The sparseness of thepopula4 tion, and the great distances between the . various " capitals," or centres of commerce, render it almost impossible that any single route should meet with general favor, and the great preponderance of commercial influence at the extremes of the country has always made that route which was undoubtedly most central — via Melbourne and "Wellington— -the least popular of any. Notwithstanding all the difficulties with which the subject is surrounded, it is yet strange that so important a change in the service as that which recently occurred should have been allowed to take place so quietly. The resolutions effecting the alteration were introduced by Mr Macaitdbew at the fa^-end of the late session of the Assembly, when the Hour*' was in committee of supply, and were carried by large majorities in the face of very faint opposition on the part of the Ministry and its supporters. It may be well that, for a while, the divisions of the Colony be left to their own resources, both with reference to Interprovincial and Intercolonial Mail Services, as it may be the means of practically solving the difficulty which has hitherto proved so troublesome to the Colonial authorities ; but it does at the. same time appear singular that the G-o---vemment of the day should have so tamely abdicated one of its most impor- ; - tant ftractioba^andLfcoaiLth c circums£an£e! should have called forth so little comment. One result of Mr Macaktjrew's proposition has been what may be called a partial separation of the two islands, with Dunedin as the eapital of the one, and Auckland of the other. His motion affirmed " that it was inexpedient to cpntinue steam postal subsidies, either interprovincial or intercolonial, after the expiration of then existing contracts," and yet no sooner dp those contracts- expire, than, under the gentle pressure of the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce, he pr,o-j poses to subsidise from provincial sources: the boats now running, and asks Canterbury and Southland to co-operate vwith Otago in the scheme. It is quite reasonable -to suppose that Messrs M'Meckait, Blackwood & Co. would find it profitable to maintain their steamers on the lijhe, independent of all subsidy, and further, that to time their boats so as to ' Suit the arrival and departure of the Suez Mail at and from Melbourne would be to their own interest, as well as to the interest of their customers,- -but it ia- doubtful whether they, might .not have been induced by means of a small bonus, for which supply was voted by the House, to make Wellington the first and last port of call in the trips, and thus have perpetuated the evils the more important southern provinces have had so frequently to complain of. Mr Macandbew's object in proposing a subsidy was no doubt to forestall such a contingency, and it is a matter of regret, so far as this province is concerned, that no terms whatever have been made. As the Bluff would no doubt be made the first port of call on arrival, and last of departure, we could not have found much fault with the arrangement, even if it did, to some extent, confirm Otago's supremacy in the Middle Island. There can be no question that two English Mail services between Australia and New Zealand would be preferable to one, and if the present state of things demorstrates the practicability of such a course, it will have done much good. For the Middle Island, the route via Melbourne and the Bluff is clearly the best, and for the Northern Island, Auckland's ' trade with Sydney suggests •&£ proper . connection. Of course if a third line 1 of steamers could be laid onbetween either >of the Australian p orts named, and Cook's Straits, so much the better, and such will [ no doubt sooner or later — when trade ■ increases — be the case ; but as neither ! "Wellington nor Nelson are well able to ? offer a sufficient subsidy to secure that i privilege, they must be content to give place to more important cities. Ia the

meantime they both receive all telegraphic news sooner than if the mail steamers were plying direct to their own harbors. The question is, however, one of too much importance to be left entirely to provincial management, and it is to b© hoped that at next meeting of Assembly spine permanent Colonial scheme will be -established. i