OCEAN MAIL SERVICES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8344, 29 January 1907, Page 7

OCEAN MAIL SERVICES.

THE SAN FRANCISCO STEAMERS. T By Telegraph—Press Association, AUCKLAND, January 27.

In addressing a public meeting here, last evening, the Premier stated that for a long time there had been great diversity of opinion amongst the people of the colony with regard to the San Francisco mail service. He believed it was the best and swiftest way to get mails from New Zealand to the Old Country or vice versa. It was unfortunate that owing to the troubles of the com-, pany the steamers had been running irregularly of late, and in the meantime no renewal of the contract had been agreed to; but he for one was hopeful that the owners would get the boats into sufficient trim to enable them to run regularly. An intimation had just \ reached the post office that the owners were prepared to build two or three new steamers, and he believed that for all time this country would find that the mail connection across America was necessary, and that it would always be a valuable connection for this country. What New Zealand should aim at was to have a Vancouver mail service and a San Francisco service, alternating at periods that would give New Zealand a comparatively short service to and from the Old Country. New Zealand should not cut off its external connections. It wanted vistors and tourists and regular and swift connection with England, and if. it could obtain, with the assistance of Canada and Australia, a Canadian mail service leaving every three weeks it would have a ten days' mail and paSsengfer service, and that was the goal that he for one was working for: New Zealand was also making a connection with Suez. Intimation had reached him that day that the Union SteamShip Company and the Hud-dart-Parker Company had agreed to a fortnightly service for the same rate as for the monthly service—£2oo for each trip; that would be £4OO a month.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has received the following telegram from the Premier and Post-master-General on the subject : 1 'ln reply to your chamber's representations, I have mde arrangements with the Union Company and- HuddartParker Company for their steamers to leave Wellington fortnightly on a Friday, and this service will be brought into operation without unnecessary delay as soon as arrangements can be completed. I find there are-considerable difficulties in the way of steamers leaving Wellington weekly on Friday, under the circumstances the I arrangement I have just made for a fortnightly service had better receive a fair trial."