MAILS VIA. PANAMA.

Taihape Daily Times, 11 October 1919, Page 5

MAILS VIA. PANAMA.

NEW SERVICE SUGGESTED. AN‘ ATTRACTIVE JOURNEY. WELLINGTON, Nov. 9. In the early hours of the 12101-ning, before yestel-day’s sitting of the House of Repl'eseni'a‘lives JW‘-m‘3‘ll?--Ted, the Postmaster-Ge-n-eral. rt'h:e- (‘Hon 3. G. Coa't'es was asked «a question as to whether i~h:.« Government s-:39 taking any s't-eps tc establish a fasi mail service via. x*lic Puanama. Canal. ‘ The reply was that the vxnatter had alrnadv been diéeusscd in Cabinet». It is ;xlngl»el"stopé that ‘up to ‘jibe

pl'esent- file suggzgield ‘service :ha‘d only been mooted, and -th=’at TlO a.rran.gem€!ltS or negotiations had taken place. The. question is entirely one of subsidy, and it follows that the faster the service the greater fhe subsidy must be. The Willochra did the rull in 32 days, so it is quite possible .to establish a 30 days’ service to England by‘ that route. Every‘ knot that is added’ to the speed of the steamer would, of course, considerably increase the subsidy. ‘ '

From the point of view of passengers the service would undoubtedly be 3' popular one. "Thousands of New Zea.lamlers have already passed that way during the later years of the war, and since the armistice, all recognising thafi it is a pleasanitlaind interesting Way to travel. The, cold of the southern latitudes, and the excessive heat of the Suez route are avoided, anld pleas;-5 ant breaks in the journey could easily be made -at Newport News, Jamaica, Colon, and possibly Tahiti. While steamers are coaling at Newport News brief visits could be made to Richmond, (Virginia), and even to Washington. The call at Jamaica is particularly in.teresting. The long stretch from Panama to New Zealand without a break is apt to be tedious from a. passenger’s point of view, but it would be reliever}: by ‘a call at Tafiifi. or one of the -other Southern Pacific islands en route. Samoa is probably too; far off the direefi route to be_iflélude‘d. -.,..._