MAIL FACILITIES

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 387, 12 May 1910, Page 5

MAIL FACILITIES

THE VANCOUVER SERVICE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Sydney, May 11. The Postmaster-General, is visiting Sydney to obtain information with a view to improving the Vancouver service. He is anxious that it should be put on a better footing. He considers the present annual tenure very unsatisfactory, and .personally favors vessels calling at Auckland if it can ibe done without detriment to Australia's interest. It seem to him that such a call would be an advantage to the Commonwealth as it would mean larger and swifter steamers. Apart from the question of mails the aspect of being able' to open up markets for Australian produce appeals strongly to him. There is no intention to drop Brisbane as a port of call. Given swifter steamers—and he thought they could be arranged at less cost than is now being paid—the inclusion of New Zealand would not appreciably lengthen the voyage, j He is hopeful also that as the trade' develops, he will be able to reduce cable! rates, so that business people may find' cabling preferable to mailing letters. I

NEW ZEALAND'S PROPOSAL OBJECTED TO. Received April 11, 9.15 p.m. Brisbane, May 11. ' The Chamber of Commerce to-day dis-j cussed the proposal to make New Zealand a port of call for the Vancouver steamers. It was stated that for years j New South Wales and Queensland had! borne the burden of the subsidy for the 1 benefit of the whole of Australia, und that therefore it would be unfair to take the boats off the Queensland route! in the interests of New Zealand, which 1 was not a' portion of the CommonweaJth. ■ The value of the imports by the line: into Queensland for 1007 was £54,000; | in 1008. £40,000; in 1000, £55,000; and 1 for the first four months of this yearj £31,000. J

STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WARD.

Wellington, Last 'Night. Sir Josenh Ward. Postmaster-General, 1 interviewer! by a New Zealand Times' reporter, in reference to the cable messages resrardinsr the nrouosal to include! New Zealand in the Vancouver mail service, states the Possibility of fixing up a service with Canada was verv likely. Tt would be definitely decided within the next few days.