Mr J. Mills on the Frisco Route.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3199, 8 May 1889, Page 2

Mr J. Mills on the Frisco Route.

': : ; : !)UNEDiN,;May7. i Mr James Mills, Manager of the ; Union, Steamship Company, in -the:' course of art interview with the Daily .Times' representative on the. Ban' Franoisco service negotiations, said: " The New • South Wales Govern-.-.;. ment, which in'past years .has pro-;; fessed to be somewhat indifferent as to the maintenance :of the San;;; Francisco mail service, has now taken up" a different attitude, desires its. continuance, and is prepare:! to take the main responsibility inconnection;; with it instead of leaving that to New ':'■', Zealand •as has been done hitherto.. If New. Zealahddoes not contribute,' the probability is'that the steamers will sail direct, from Sydnay to' Honolulu-without calling: at Auck-, : land, but he thinks it not unlikely .. that the New South Wales Govern- : mentmay invite NewZealandio participate in the service on terms that will be bo advantageous,that .; those .who have hitherto opposed jhe San Francisco service must modify their opinion upon the question." ' It seems that a remark that Mr Mills.made in Sydney has been ' en irely misconstrued,, and a good', deal of vigorous critioism completely; thrown away upon it. Mr Mills said: " The -San Frausoico service was of great commercial' importance to this colony," and this 'statement has been criticised on the assumption that the words "This Colony'' meant New Zealand, whereas, since- < they were used in Sydney, they had * reference only to New South -'Wales'. ; Mr Mills, however, is convinced that. the service is of material importance to New Zealand, and lie cannot. understand how anyone can profess to be indifferent to its maintenance provided it can ..be maintained : , at a modest cost.- The expense of this route is,'' he maintained,a great inducement to people in European countries to visit the Australian colonies, Large numbers of people came to Australia bj tho P. and o.)' Orient, and other routes, ; and returned via New Zealand and San Fraucisco. Some of ( these visitors stayed in Auckland and. visited points of interest in the Korth. island | but a great many made the complete tour of New Zealand, com-. mgviaDunedinand Southern ports and picking up: the, steamer' at Auoklaod for San Francisco/ It ' could not be said that the Colony as a whole did not benefit from these-, visitors, both directly and The direot' 1 benefit was apparent and admitted, and the indirect advantages, which were of far more impdrance, were that-the visitors could not help being'''struck; with tho ■ attractions and resources of our Colony,' and that they naturally talked about the things, and thus became the most valuable of all' advertising mediums, It tlie steamers of the San- Francisco lino ceased to call at New Zealand, very . few of the tourists referredtowould . ever reach this Colony ?m they would ■ not make the trip here if they had to-return ;to' Australia to join the Homeward, bound steamer. The result would - therefore- be that New Zealand would: bo. more isolated than ever.- As regards the Canadian line, Mr Mills thought it vould be established, but it would be' at least two years before it was open, ana the intention was, lie gathered, to aim at making it a fast mail route to Australia, in which case the steamers would go via Fiji to Brisbane, and the service would connect with New Zealand by'means of a branch line, Mr. Mills hoped thatll the Colonies as a whole would be" able to offer such encouragement as would enable both services to; be kept open, for that seemed to him to bo f desirable.' He anticipated that a' large number of visitors from Austrilia will visit the Exhibition, as by the arrangement made by running the Mararoa direct, the sea trip will only occupy 81 hours, This will enable visitors to spend ten days in the Colony, and the wholo trip., occupy only 18 days.