NEW ZEALAND MAIL SERVICES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8321, 29 December 1906, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND MAIL SERVICES.

UNSATISEfAOIORY POSITION. (Post Correspondent). LONDON, November 16. Very serious dissatisfaction prevails in London at the present condition of the mail service between this country and. New Zealand. 'lbis is nut at all wonderful when it is recollected that not long ago there was a total break of two or three months, while the last two mails from New Zealand, via San Francisco were, respectively, nine and seven days late in reaching London, and it is now officially announced that there will be no out-' watd mail at all via San Francisco this month or for an indefinite period thereafter. In the Oity the grumbling is both load and deep. It ia pointed out that one of the moat urgent essentials for a commercial and producing country is a regular and punctual mail servioe with its principal markets. The present San Francisco service is spoken of in terms of utter derision. "If New Zealand cannct get a deoently punctual service via San Francisco," said one | city man to ine, "it would be in- , Anilely better to have the slower service via Suez and Australia with proper arrangements for the New Zealand connection. Suob a service would be only three or four days longer and would at least be regular and trustworthy." I reminded him of Sir Joseph Ward's explanation that'the present San Francisoo service was quite as good as New Zealand could expect to get for the jvery small subsidy paid. "Then why not pay more?" he cried. "Surely New Zealand in her present prosperous position is well able to afford a really good fortnightly mail service, either by " San Francisoo or by Vancouver, or alternately between the two. Whatever that might cost would be money far better spent than on various other items of outlay shown in the Financial Statements. I here is no possible doubt that if New Zealand were willing to pay even a relatively moderate subsidy, a vastly better service than the rroaent one could readily be secured, if greater speed were not desired, at least punctuality could be obtained, and if the Government were in earnest there ia no valid reason why New Zealand should not have a 30-day fortnightly servioe, which ' would enable the intermediate one via Aus trail ato be wholly dispensed witn, and would be a tremenduus convenience both to the oolony and the Mother Couutiy." I think it right to mention the existence of this feeling in London, and the emphasis with which it is expressed, ae tne present irregularity and inefficiency of New Zealand's principal mail servioe are causing much irritation.