THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE.

Tuapeka Times, Volume V, Issue 228, 13 June 1872, Page 6

THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICE.

By the Post Office notice in another column it -will be seen that the Nebraska's departure is postponed until to-morrow morning, the HaVur Company's steamer taking the passengers and mails down at 11 o'clock. This detention, although cans* ing eoniiderable inconvenience, has been consented to by Captain Harding to enable the Suez mails for the North, per Albion, to be transhipped into his steamer, and also to allow time, if possible, for our merchants to reply to important correspondence by the Suez mail. During her stay at Fort Chalmers the Nebraska has undergone considerable alterations in her cabin arrangements'; but more particularly in her rig, which has been altered to " full brig rig," with large square and foreand aft sails; her lower yards being 75 feet in length, and others in proportion : thus enabling her to spread ordinarily 3,500 yds. of canvas, which can be increased at any time when necessary by large stay- sails. Altogether this fine steamer will leave our port in splendid condition, although she has done an amount of work during the last twelve months only equalled by her sister ship, the Nevada. As these steamers have been so grossly misrepresented in this Province, we give the performances of the Nebraska since she left San Fraucisco twelve months ago, namely: —

The distance run as above, 72,730 miles, or equal to an average of 104 miles per hour. — Evening Star, June 6th. ) <

The following particulars about the negotiations between the Colonial Treasurer and the Victorian Government are from the Wei' lington Independent of May 24 :—

Mr Vogel's first offer was that for L 25.000 a year, arrangements would be made under which the A.S.N. Company would run a fast steamer every four weeks to connect Melbourne with the main boats at Auckland. Of this sum, L 7500 would have gone to the A.S.N. Company, and it was proposed that the balance— Ll7, soo— should be divided l < between the New Zealand Government and > Mr "Webb. It was pointed out also by Mr \ Yogel that the subsidy for which New Zea- \ land was liable was L 69.000 a year, whichs amount included LIO.OOO as a special contri-1 bution on account of the services between' New Zealand and Australia. The first reply 1 to the overtures of Mr Yogel was to the effect \ thatwhilsttbe Victorian Government fully ap« 1 preciated the value of direct communication with the United States, and recognised the \ claim New Zealand had for friendly aid in \ the attempt to establish such communication ; the Government could only consider any I proposal on the condition " that the main ' steamer should come to Melbourne ;" Mr ' Duffy adding that "we do not consider a branch service such as you propose one worth paying a subsidy for, or which would or ought to satisfy the wants of the principal city in Australasia." To this Mr Yogel replied, suggesting an arrangement not very different from the one finally accepted, with the difference that the steamer from San Francisco should proceed direct to Melbourne, aud the one from Port Chalmers go direct '-to San Francisco, the price to be L 30,000 for each Colony, subject to certain deductions in the event of other colonies joining. Mr Duffy, hewever, insisted upon Victoria having a right to select from which port the through voyage should be made, and said, "We decidedly prefer that Melbourne should be the port." To this proposal Mr Yogel put the question of the choice referred to as a matter of bargain, and offered to give or receive LSOOO for the fright of choice — that is to say, that either New Zealand or Victoria should pay L 32,500 towards the subsidy if it had the choice of route, or that Victoria might take up the same terms. Mr Duffy elected to pay the extra LSIH)O a year, so that the steamer to San Francisco should proceed direct to San Francisco from Melbourne.

The contract was then drawn np, carefully considered by all parties, and signed. There has been no "smart practice" of any kind. It is simply the result of a very well-con-tested and business-like bargain, and it is not probable that the Victorian Legislature will repudiate it.

Political feeling is running so high in the Melbourne journals just now that their remarks upon the contract made between Mr Yogel and Mr Duffy need to be read with great reservation. It is tolerably evident that the unfavorable opinions expressed by the metropolitan papers are not the result of the calm and deliberate consideration of the question which would have been given to it at a calmer time, and it is possible that we shall get nearer the real opinion of the Victorian people from the provincial journals. We have before us a copy of the Btflarat Courier of the 11th May, containing a leading article upon the San Francisco mail contract, from which we infer that the contract is by no means so unpopular as it has been alleged to be. The paper mentioned says that " a careful read* mg of the articles (of contract) as they now appear shows that a mutually advantageous arrangement has been made," and expresses the opinion that both Parliaments should ratify them. The hasty conclusions of the Age and other papers that the Melbourne service was to be done by branch steamers is exposed, and the true version of the arrangement of steamers is given. The commercial value of the service is recognised, and the Courier points to the importance of direct communication with California in relation to the wool trade of Victoria. The article concludes as follows :—: —

Altogether, as it seems to us, the agreement is in every way satisfactory to us. The advantage lies with Victoria, because, whilewe now pay L 38,000 for tbe P. and O. service by which we can send no heavy tonnage, weshall only pay L 32,500 for a line of steamer* which will both carry our letters and our wool to a rapidly developingmarket ; ancf. ,

The construction of the bridge across tho Pomahaka Biver is being vigorously proceeded ■with, and will probably be completed in about three weeks. The work is being executed in a very creditable manner by the contractors.

A bacb to carry from 16 to 20 heads of wate>-, is now being brought in to Waipori. The party constructing it— Messrs. May, Buttson, and Co., obtained a right for water out of the Waipori River, but are at present contenting themselves with heading the race from Blackinan's Gully, 9. miles from the township. It is intended to bring it on to Golden Point where the owners have a good claim, and there is a large extent of highly auriferous ground commanded by the race". The work of construction w being proceeded with vigorously, and the ■whole length. 10 miles is expected to be completed about November npxt. We hope success will attend this spirited enterprise.

v, a, m, San Francisco to Honolulu ... 7 15 30 Honolulu to Auckland 14 16 30 Auckland to Sydne> 4 11 0 Sydney to Auckland 5 10 0 Auckland to Honolulu 15 15 0 Honolulu to Auckland 15 23 0 Auckland to Port Cb aimers ... 3 14 0 Port Chalmers to Auckland ... 3 20 0 Auckland to Honolulu 15 19 30 Honolulu to Auckland 14 12 Gv Auckland to Sydney 5 7 0 Sydney to Melbourne 2 2 0 Melbourne to Sydney ... ... 2 3 0 Sydney to Auckland 5 18 0 Auckland to Honolulu 15 18 0 Honolulu to Auckland 14 15 0 Auckland to Sydney 5 2 30 Sydney to Auckland 5 13 30 Auckland to Honolulu 15 11 30 Honolulu to Auckland 14 1 0 Auckland to Sydney 4 12 30 Sydney to Auckland 5 10 0 Auckland to Honolulu ... . 16 9 0 Honolulu to Auckland 14 8 30 Auckland to Port Chalmers ... 3 23 0 Port Chalmers to Auckland ... 4 15 0 Auckland to Honolulu 16 2 0 Honolulu to San Francisco ... 8 12 0 San Francisco to Honolulu ... 7 20 0 Honolulu to Auckland 15 16 0 Auckland to Port Chalmers, present voyage 3 18 0 288 16 0~