The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1899. THE PROPOSED NEW MAIL SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 208, 2 September 1899, Page 4

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED "The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 1899. THE PROPOSED NEW MAIL SERVICE.

For the cause that lacis assistance, For the -wrong that needs resistance, For the faturo in the distance, And the good that -we can do.

The Premier's proposals for a monthly mail service between Sydney and Southern New Zealand ports are doubtless, to a large extent, the result of the commercial requirements of that part of the colony which will be chiefly benefited by the arrangements. Perhaps they are also due, however, to the mere desire for closer union which the growth of the federal movement here has of late done a good deal to promote. As was to be expected, the principle of the proposals has been warmly supported by Southern members, many of whom urge that the service instead of being monthly should be weekly or at any rate a fortnightly. And not only do they want a frequent service, but they want a fast one too. A large part of the discussion yesterday turned on this last point, and in the end it was decided by a large major-

lty that the voyage between Australia and New Zealand should be performed in four days, or six hours less than the time stipulated for in Mr Seddon's original proposals. It speaks, we consider, for the absence of provincial jealousy on the part of the Northern members that they did not in any way seek to deny the claims of the South for speedier connection with Sydney, and offered no objection to the proposals. We question whether had the case been reversed and the North had been agitating for an improved service, our. friends in the South would have given as unbiased a consideration to our needs as the Auckland representatives have given to those of Wellington and the South Island. Not that we consider there was any ground for jealousy on our part, at least so far as a monthly service is concerned. W Tith regard to more frequent inter-communication it is very doubtful whether the commercial requirements of the present time warrant it. If in addition to that it would interfere in any way with the San Francisco service, and Mr Seddon distinctly said on Thursday that he objected to a fortnightly service because it would so interfere, there are we think good grounds for opposing the extension of the proposals. We do not wish to accuse Southern members of any hostile spirit to Auckland in this matter, but it is not inconceivable that the establishment of very frequent intercommunication between Sydney and Wellington might act prejudically oh the position Auckland at present holds. Of course if the trade of the South requires a frequent service and can support it not a word can be said against the arrangement, but it would be quite inadmissible for the Government to spend the money of the taxpayers in subsidising, at considerable cost to the colonj r, the Federal service at times when it must inevitably divert mail matter from the San Francisco route without benefit to the colony, and so imperil the continuance of that service' which is now only subsidised on the basis of the amount of mail matter actually carried. The arrangement proposed by the Premier is a perfectly fair one, and should prove entirely satisfactory to Wellington and Lyttelton, which are made the ports of call for the fast English mail service, alternating fortnightly with the Pacific service. We believe this is a reasonable adjustment of the interprovincial rivalries that existed over this question. The service will be a fast one,, and there is a prospect of large steamers being engaged in it. English passengers by the Eastern routes will also be largely attracted to this line. With two speedy mail services the postal wants of the colony will be very well supplied, but the existing means of connecting with the Vancouver and weekly Federal mail steamers will, of course, also be utilised whenever these can be used with advantage.

While our Auckland members have no-£ openly assumed that there was any design on the interests of Auckland . involved in the proposal, they may be pardoned if they were just a little inclined to entertain occasional misgivings on the subject. This suspicion, whicli we cannot but regard as quite legitimate in a way, having been justified by former exper.ences, led to a very amusing joke that has caused much laughter both here and in Wellington. The fun of the little affair, which is related in another part of this issue, will be appreciated by everyone", even by the gentleman who unwittingly lent himself to the perpetration of what will probably be long remembered as the canax-d of the session. ' After all is said and done, however, we are not sure that we do not score by the joke. It has, at any rate, shown that Auckland's jealous guardianship of the Frisco service is a thing not to be trifled with. The defence of that service, we consider, belongs to Auckland, and will rem-.ain in Auckland's hands, although it will continue to be the fastest mail route for all New Zealand. Nor do we think that for some time to come, at all events, any real attempt will be made by the South to deprive us of our advantage as the port of call, which, as Southern (members have more than once admitted, is ours in virtue of our geographical position.