AN AUCKLAND GAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 205, 30 August 1910, Page 7

AN AUCKLAND GAIN.

DIEECT SERVICE TO THE ISLANDS.

<By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

very considerable interest is being taken in the newly-arranged San Fran«S6 ihail service. Southern members SS 1 satisfied with the arrangeTnent, biit not so the Auckland represenfetives. It seems thai there is one point which Vill be in Auckland's favour, howler. When the Wellington-Papeete service was established, it carried a Government subsidy of £7600, while the Auck-land-Island service, which had been established for years, only received f 1200. It will be remembered that the inauguration of the service between Wellington and the Islands, with such financial.assistance, aroused considerable indignation i n Auckland at the time, since it meant that Auckland's distributing trade w the Rarotongan Group and elsewhere *Wild. be considerably jeopardised and Wellington traders given an unfair advantage. With the establishment cf the **w 'Frisco service, which replaces the Wellington-Papeete run, Auckland will, one Xorthern member points out, at {east have the satisfaction of again havttig a direct sen-Ice to the Islands, since y™ Wellington connection will now have w.be via Auckland. The Wellington "Evening Post,' , in its lading article, says: "The annexation of We Hawaiian Islands by the United Mates in IS9S made Honolulu an America port, and from that time onwards British vessels were barred by the America navigation laws from "taking pasjfagers or cargo at Honolulu for aSn *«nciseo and vice versa. It was a bitter $iv to our national pride that the Union ">mpany-"s steamers which were then on the contract were thus dis.T&ufied, and the service monopolised jw the Stars and Stripes. The wonder i»;toat we stood tbe affront and the Q ira y so meekly. There was a deal but, in spite of all. the "'fact was renewed with the American wmpany year after year, until the ; " et <»ea quality of the vessels which it brought about a collapse. As £"?** contract is with the Union Comnobody -n-ill have any apprehension ■c *ke maddening vagaries of the Company--s steamers will be The term of the San Francisco to 12 and we

shall know by that time whether it is advisable to renew it or look to Vancouver instead. The Government is to be congratulated upon an experiment which is full of promise in more ways than one."