THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4531, 6 December 1884, Page 8

THE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Lotter from Sir Julius Vogol.

The President of the Chamber of Commerce (Mr John Eeid) has received a reply to the letter addressed to the Poatmaster-Goneral by the Committee of the Chamber on the 31et October, at the suggestion of Mr John Milno, with reference to the English mail services. The Committee's lettor drew the attention of Sir Julius Vogol to the following points :—(1) The mails are made up in London on Thursdays. (2) No one of the great lines of steamers adopt Thursday exclusively as their day of sailing. Tho Inman Company run one week on a Thursday, and the following week Tuesday; the White Star, do^ the same ; so that our mails are conveyed by either of these which may happen to have a Bteamer leaving. (3) The Cunard, Guion, and Anchor Companies make Saturday their sailing day. Tho Committee think it wouid be advantageous to send by one line, and especially by the Cunaid, which for more than 20 years has kept in tho van of Atlantic liners for regularity and punctuality. They run their newest and most improved steamers to JSow York every Saturday, and would, tho Committeo beliove, undertake to deliver in New York the following Monday week. Tho mail would thus reach San Francisco within 14 days from London, which would bo a clear saving of two days upon previous performances. (4) Tho Pacific servico should be performed in a maximum of, 15 days, which could be done by Id-knot hteamcrs, whereas tho" Cunard steamer Umhria ia roported to run 24 miles per hour. (5) This would givo v through servico to Auckland of 2'J days, and by suitablo arrangements with tho Onion Company a delivoiy in the South in 81 to 32 days could bo obtained. Anything then sent by the Orient and P. andO. Company, occupying 45 days to Now Zealand, would bo worse than useless. (0) if a contract wcro entered into with the Cunard Co. for delivery both ways, mails would have to bo despatched from New Zealand to catch thoir steamers leaving New York on Wednesday. (7) The Chamber think the timo opportune for considering this matter in view of the expiration o£ tho present contract twelve months henco. («) Further saving of timo would bo mado by omitting to call at Honolulu. The Postmaster-General's reply to the foregoing representation is as follows : — ,

" General I'ostoliice, "Wellington, IStli November, 188-1. "To tho Chairman Chamber of Commerce, Auckland—

" Sir,—l have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of tho 31st ult., offering suggestions by your Chamber forimprovingthe mail servico between Now Zealand and the United Kingdom by way of San Francisco. Alany of tho points to which your Chamber draws attention wero well considered by tho Government of the day when arranging for; the renewal of tho service up to November, ISOS. Tho need for a speedier transit of tho colonial mails between New York and either Queenstown or Liverpool was fully discussed, and suitable representations through tho AgentGenoral wore mado to the London Postoffico to have tho colonial mails sent by swifter vessels, but bo far without result. It is known that the Imperial authorities havo had the mattor ot improving tho Atlantic service under consideration. 1 have, however, had no oilicial intimation that any contract with the Cunard Company for the carriage of tho mails across the Atlantic has been arranged. Indeed, I have just learned from thu Agcnt-Generul that the negotiations botween the Imperial Post-office and the several steamship companies havo fallen through, and that no improvement in tho Atlantic servico is likely to take place for tho.presont. The question of the day of despatching tho mails from London was also well considered, and tho Agent-General was askod whethor a moro suitable day than Thursday could be selected. His reply was that Thursday should be adhered to. It id true that the fastest steamers leave Liverpool for New York on Saturday ; but business and other causes, of which you could not have been acquainted, make Saturday a most awkward and inconvenient day for tho closing of tho coloriul mails in London. You are no doubt aware that tho contracttime botween San Francisco aud Auckland, from next month, is to be shortened by 24 hours ; and I would remind you that even now the mails aro delivered, at Auckland in considerably under 22 days (the preheat contract timo) from San Franciscc*. Tho service may be capable of improvement] but nothing further can bo done in this direction during tho currency of tho existing contract. lam not aware that there is any ocean mail service in the world canied out at a speed of sixteen miles an hour, and I think it will be some time before tho colony is likely to bav.o its ocean mails carried at such "a, rate of speed. Tho Cunaid steamers aro not now considered tho swiftest plying on the Atlantic. This is, or has been of late, conceded to the Guion line, but even tho average speed of the Atlantic steamers has been considerably under 16 knots an hour. Tho direct mail steom service by the New Zealand Shipping Company's fleet between New Zealand and tho United KiDgdom, which will be inaugurated next month under contract with the Government, will provido a regular alternative fortnightly service with the San Francisco; lino. This probably was not contemplated by your Chamber at the time when it discussed the question of the mail services. The direct service will afford a quicker and cheaper moans for tho transit of mnils bctweon the colony and the mother country than by tho Briudisi and Suez route, which it. should almost entirely supplant as an alternative mail lino for New Zealand.—l havo tho honour to bo, sir, your obedient servant, " Julius Vooel, " Postmaster-General."