THE RIVAL MAIL SERVICES.

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 379, 22 June 1889, Page 6

THE RIVAL MAIL SERVICES.

A gentleman who has had a large amount of experience in the Pacific mail service (saysth© "Sydney Morning Herald") has, shown us a charb upon which the various possible routes for a mail service to Eng- . land via America are clearly set forth. ; There are a considerable variety of. routes, for no less than nine different lines are mapped v out, each of which will no J doubt find their respective advocates. The, longest route, is that via Wellington (N.Z.)i and Tahiti, and thence on to San Francisco, ; a distance of 8,314 miles.' In point of distance the proposed Panama route, via the Fiji Islands, comes next, the distance being 8,018 miles. The other lines marked out are considerably shorter, the present' San Francisco route being only 7,191 miles, { and the chart shows* that it is even possible j to reduce this distance by adopting a new ! course. A steamer proceedings from Sydney to New Zealand, and thence* to Vancouver V, Islaiid, via Tonga, ; Samoa, and Tahiti, would only cover; a distance of 6,584 "miles, whilst if the vessel sailed from Brisbane the distance J would be 6,652 miles. The proposed Van- r eouver Canadian Pacific mail service, via Honolulu and Suva, Fiji, would be only a trifle longer, or 6,853 miles. The chart; shows a clear gain, with regard to distance i traversed, in favour of the Canadian Pacific : Mail route.