OUR MAIL SERVICES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 60, 11 July 1907, Page 2

OUR MAIL SERVICES.

CONNECTION ARRANGED VIA SUEZ.

Per Press Association. Wellington, July io. In the House on Wednesday aftor- k noon, the position of the Colony's oversea mail services was dealt with fully ' by the Premier, who informed the House that an improved arrangement had been . mado with the Union Company and Huddart, Parker for the conveyance of mails between Wellington and Sydney, so as to take advantage of the regular service to England via Suez. He stated that for eleven months he had been endeavoring to arrange a weekly service, but a great dllliculty luid stood in the way. It would

have dislocated the intercolonial service, * and disturbed the whole trade between Sydney and New Zealand to have arranged a weekly connection. Ho finally had to agree to a two-weekly connection, ■ ' which would cost £15,000 per annum. Neither company desired to do it even at that money, because of the increased expenditure necessary for the payment • of overtime and extra docking, but dur- !•'- ing the last few days they had got to a <-; point where, for the very reasonable - ."jl sum of £15.000 per annum, a fortnight- I ly connection would be guarantee! '< Formerly the colony had to pay £2OO per week, with gratuities, so now they ' were getting a service for a lower sum per trip. If they liked to pay a large subsidy, perhaps. £2D,000 or more per <-; annum, they could have a steamer wait" " "'■ ing to pick up the mail on a particular J date. The expenditure was not justified. * Two of the lines pf steamers had different times of arrival at Sydney, and to connect with them would necessitate the intercolonial companies altering thelh arrangements at Auckland by laying back a flay or two, and having irre- ' gularity of starting at the other end. His own opinion was that people corresponding with the Old Country would just as readily communicate fortnightly as weekly. He declared that what the colony really wanted was to ensure baring a good ocean mail service from New Zealand to the Old Country, equal or better than the 'Frisco service, because they would never get as good a service -•-;, even under the arrangement which he '4 had just concluded. . A