OVERSEA MAILS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 205, 4 October 1909, Page 4

OVERSEA MAILS.

THE PROPOSED ALL RED ROUTE. NEW ZEALAND'S POINT OF VIEW. Auckland, Thursday. Questioned in regard to oversea mail services and the new aspect of affairs as it relates to the proposed All Red route, Sir Joseph Ward stated that the proposal as brought forward originally had practically fallen through. The original idea had been to secure fast services on both sides of Canada to link up tile direct route with the Old Country, but that hail now Wn to all intents and purposes abandoned. The reason was that fast lines were now established across the Atlantic from Canada to England, steamers running from Montreal in the summer and from Halifax in he winter. These were giving a good service on the Atlantic side, and had relieved the Canadian Government of the necessity for providing heavy subsidies for the 25-knot steamers that were talked of recently. The steamers at present running do the journey from Montreal to England in under six days, so that there would he no advantage gained in attempting to supersede liners of that class by payment of heavy subsidies for an additional service.

"What will fne position then be in regard to linking up with Canada on this side?" was a question put to the Prime Minister.

"The position is simply that those who werp interested mainly in the idea of a dircft route which would link Canada with England arc no 'longer impressed with the necessity for coming in on this side," replied Sir Joseph. "In regard to the present line of stcamois running from Canada to Australia under contract, the old difficulty of Brisbane being a port of call stands in the way as far as New Zealand is concerned, and prevents their calling here. AVe must, therefore, either subsidise a fast connecting srvice between Auckland ant Fiji, or else euler into an arrangement willi Canada fur a fast steamer service to come on from Sydney. Ido not know what else we can do, for at present those desiring to return via Canada l„ New Zealand must wait for days at Fiji, or go on to Sydney and travel from there to Auckland.' If necessary, we must subsidise a passenger steamer to connect at Fiji, and give a direct service. We have travelled from Fiji lo Auckland on the Challenger in 70 liours. People leaving London on 2nd or 3rd September would thus have been enabled to land in Auckland this morning. TUe trip to Auckland should not occupy more than 27 or 28 days over this route. Certainly the Challenger travelled at 17 knots per hour, and we could not look for a connection at as fast a rate as lint. Even at lo knots, however, it should be possible, to build up a satisfactory service, and we should not have any difficulty in getting a 28 days' connection by linking up with the Canadian steam, era at Fiji, While in Canada I discussed tlie whole- matter, with Sir . Wilfrid Laurier, and he realises the importance of having a direct connection with NewZealand, and I promised to go into tre whole matter here in New Zealand on ,my return. This connection- nt Fiji | would, T think, remove all difficulties as | far as England is concerned. lam satisfled that we are altogether in too isolated a position, and we must move in the direction of breaking tliat down." Asked whether he thought t?iore was any likelihood of the San Francisco service being revived, Sir Joseph replied that he hail no proposals to make in regard to that service at present, and if the question cropped up it would have to be considered on its merits.