THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1899

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 57, 9 March 1899, Page 4

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 1899

THE VANCOUVER SERVICE

! The Wellington Chamber of Commerce agreed, at its annual meeting1 on Tuesday last, to represent to the Government the necessity of taking steps to prevent the Vancouver service being lost to New Zealand. The suggestion appears to have been made in the name of all the Chambers throughout the colony, but whether at the request or with the sanction of these as a body we do not know. Doubtless all the Chambers of Commerce are desirous that our trade relations with. Canada should be as carefully fostered as possible, and probably most of our business men would agree with Mr Wilberforce, of the Wellington Chamber, in urging on our Government the advantage of a reciprocal tariff with Vancouver, such as New South Wales enjoys. And, of course, we are all aware that nothing will tend to develop the interchange of commodities between this colony and Canada—presuming always that there is a sufficiency of commodities there and here of the kind that it would be profitable to exchange—so much as a regular line of steam communication. On these points it may be safely said there is unanimity of opinion. But it is open to question whether we are all agreed as to the 'necessity' for the continuance of the present Vancouver service. So far as the postal facilities which it affords are concerned, it is scarcely worth taking into account. The Postal Department in Wellington admits that it has been a very expensive service, owing partly to the frequency with Which the stettmers. are overdue; and those of the general public who have much correspondence with the Old Country know by experience that the route gives them no advantage to speak of over the other mail lines. When the discontinuance of the service was mooted a short time ago people, judging of its value chiefly by its use as a mail agent, expressed little regret at the prospect of its being done away with. From what we have since heard there appears a strong likelihood that the Canadian-Australian Royal Mail Company will elect to leave New Zealand out of its route. Our Parliament authorised the prolongation of the contract with the Company for another year, dating from this month, but the latter, it is understood, objected to the £7,500 subsidy, and wlsned it raised to £ 10,000. Whether the Company is prepared to include New Zealand in its route on the better terms, however, is not perfectly certain. It is quite possible that owing to the big inducement Queensland may be ready to offer the company will not care to call-here except it is very handsomely paid for its trouble. 'The question is, would the Government be justified in expending a large sum for the benefit to be derived ? As we have already said, from a postal point of view there is little advantage whatever in the service. Then we have to consider what is it worth commercially. Up to the present it cannot be said to have been worth very much. It. is rather its value in the future that has. to be ■ taken into account.. That, very likely, may be very considerable; but it is questionable whether the colony is justified in highly subsidising a service that may not for years to come bring- any substantial benefit to its commerce. Naturally Wellington would like to see the line kept on. Every ship that visits her port is to her individual advantage in many ways. If, however, the service cannot be shown to be to the advantage of the colony as a whole, why should' we seek to continue it? To a certainty, if the trade warrants it, we shall soon be put in communication with Canada on terms more advantageous to us than those the present company may offer. It is all a question of trade and the prospect of trade. If there is any reason whatever to believe that the future extension of our commerce will suffer . by a temporary suspension of direct coninmnication with Canada, then we should be willing to make the present monetary sacrifice that may be necessary to retain the service. On this point the Chambers of Commerce throughout the colony should be able j to speak with authority.