Untitled

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2516, 25 August 1888, Page 2

It is regrettable that the question of the Ocean Mail Services should have reopened the old provincial jealousies which seem to be ever slumbering in the breasts of the people of the rival districts. The debate on the votes for the San Francisco and the Direct Mail Services, was characterised by painful exhibitions of local antagonisms. The question was not considered on broad national grounds, but there was a display of party fencing, thrust and parry, between members from the North aud those from the South. As a quid pro quo for their opposition to the Otago Central Railway, the members from that district avenged themselves on the 'Frisco service, and drove it off the field. The Northern members struck back, but ineffectually, at the Direct Service in which Canterbury aud Otago are particularly interested. Putting aside the merits of the one as a rapid means of communication with Europe, or the facilities provided by a direct fortnightly connection hy the agency of the New Zealand Company's or Shaw Saville's line of steamers, what the circumstances of the colony demand is, whether it can afford the luxury of subsidised services at all ? In it 3 present position the country cannot do so. It should be

quite sufficient for us if we forward or obtain our mails as freight, the transit of which being paid as the law allows by weight. \Ve have for several years been plunging into an extravagant style of living as though the colony, which is after all still in the age of adolescence, was an old established and opulent country. Even in old countries there is a growing feeling against the principle of paying subsidies to ocean steamship companies. The correspondence conveynd by the distiict service last year was paid for by weight, which together with bouns, interprovincial service, etc., amounted to £26,000. After deducting from this the postages received, the loss to the colony was nearly £7,000. It is, therefore, apparent that even without subsidising the service the system of payment by weight leaves a balance against the colony. The San Francisco Service shows a net profit to the colony of nearly £15,000, in its mail contracts. But it is the commercial advantages that weigh by contrast against the iatter route. A return from the Trade and Customs Department shows that the quantity of cargo carried to and from New Zealand by the San Francisco steamers during the twelvemonths ended 31st. December, 1887, was, inwards 1,335 tons ; outwards, 569 tons. On the other hand the New Zealand Shipping Company conveyed 10,657 tons of inward cargo, and 16.554 tons of outward cargo ; and Shaw-Saville's steamers for the same period had 23,101 tons of inward and 31,400 tons of outward cargo. Commercially, then, the San Francisco Service is out of court, and that is the question of greater importance to us as a nation than whether we shall obtain our correspondence four or five or ten days earlier by one way or the other. There was a hope that the commercial value of the San Francisco Service might be advanced by the United States removing the import duty on raw wool. Whatever expectation may have been raised in that direction may now be cast aside. It is n< t within reason that America will violate her protective principles to confer a great favour on a small dependency of a rival Freetrade power by admitting its chief staple free, when that dependency has just adopted a tariff that lays heavy duties on manufactures imported from the United States. The 'Frisco mail contract does not expire till November next year. There are probabilities, however, that, in the event of its discontinuance being accomplished, a Pacific service may be established with British Columbia and across the Canadian railway. Overtures have already been made to our Government by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company, and the Canadian Government, who are naturally anxious to promote the success of that route, will grant substantial support to the service. It is proposed to connect with New Zealand by a branch line from Fiji, which would be the port of call on the direct line from Victoria and Vancouver's Island to Australia. Although this would serve our purposes very well and be inexpensive, the false economy and pride, of the authorities in Wellington refuse to entertain the scheme. They have announced that '' no Pacific mail service which did not provide for the main boats calling at New Zealand would receive the support of this colony."