INTERVIEWS WITH CHRIST CHURCH BUSINESS MEN.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 11096, 15 October 1901, Page 5

INTERVIEWS WITH CHRIST CHURCH BUSINESS MEN.

In order to obtain the opinions of business people regarding the proposals, a representative of "The Press" yesterday interviewed several leading commercial men on the subject.

THE VANCOUVER SERVICE.

Mr I. Gibbs, manager of the local branch of the New Zealand Shipping Company, furnished us with some information with respect to the suggested Vancouver service. Mr Gibbs explained that the Canadian and Australian Company have contracted with the Queensland and New South Wales Governments to run a service from Brisbane to Vancouver, calling _at Honolulu, These contracts will not expire until 1903. Under these circumstances Mr Gibbs cannot see how the Canadian-Australian Company can Sake the contract from the New Zealand Government unless these other two contracts are .cancelled. He does not think for a moment that Mr Barton will consent to this, nor does he. think that the boats will be allowed to call «t Auckland, for tile route is specified in the contracts, and no deviations can be made without consent. Mr Gibbs also informed our representative that one of the inducements whereby the Canadian-Australian line consented to make Brisbane the port of departure was that a contract had been entered ipto for 'the carriage of 20,000 tons of sugar aruiualjy. This contract, however, is not in any way connected with the Government contract for the carriage of mails, but Mr Gibbs says that if the sugar industry is going to be killed by the abolition of black labour, i&at inducement will .be -withdrawn, and there will consequently ■be less inducement for the company to make Brisbane the port of departure when the present contracts have expired, and fresh Arrangements are being made. In .tie meantime My Gibbs says, the Federal, service is the best that can be adopted, aud tie Government should arrange . with, the Union Company to run a connecting steamer between Wellington- and Sydney, to catch the express for Adelaide. In two years , time the Canadian-Australian Company will be ire* to entertain, .the proposals of the- New Zealand Government for «, Vancouver servioe, and the .Government, should now g»& into a weifcion to be able'to negotiate with the company to provide a service ,at the termination of ■ the present contracts. .'. Mr Gibbe. considers the present time none too early,.for if a contract is entered , into with. the Caniindian-iiUstralian. Company, and new steamers were to be p\tt on, it would take eighteen months, at least to build and equip them. Mr Gibbs- complains of the policy of the - present Government in insisting'upon short mail service contracts, and adds that New , Zealand could have had the Vancouver service now if the Government had been prepared to let a five years' contain. In Conclusion, Mr Gibbs stated thtjit for* the nest two years • tshe Government should adopt the Federal "service, and during the present session they should get the authority of Parliament to enter, into a contract with the Company, to provide the Vancouver service in two years. THE FEDERAL SERVICE. Another alternative' mail servioe proposed by Sir Joseph Ward is what is known as -the Federal service, whereby New Zealand can take advantage of the weekly communication ; between Australia arid London via Brindisi. Mr A. Kaye said that the, service could be arranged if a boat left New Zealand on. a. Thursday, so as to arrive in Sydney in time to catch the Tuesday's express, leaving at 7.15 p.m.. for .Melbourne and Adelaide, which carried the Brindisi an<J Naples mails. Mr Kaye considers that the present fleet of intercolonial steamers could make the' journey acros3 m the .required time if reasonable inducements, were offered. As it is,-some of .the fcoate do it in the time, but,the cost is increased on account of the extra consumption, of coal in running at a higher rota of speed. If these regular connections were made a thirty-eiglit days' service from New Zealand to London would be the result, as against the thirty-one days' San Francisco servioe, but Mr Kave. informs us that the journey from Adelaide to London can be done in-much quicker time than the present contract time, and he anticipates that if this journey is shortened f&e difference between the two services will be very little. But in any case there would be a regular tveekly service by the Federal line, and this, Mr Kaye says, .would be a great boon to merchants. Mr Kaye feel* sure that the P. and O- Company would fall in with any proposal* made by the New Government, but they cannot be expected to alter their dates and have their arrangement* upset by accepting the contract unless some compensation is granted to them. THE MSADVANTAUES OF THE SAN FRANCISCO SERVICJB. Asked what be considered were the disadvantages oi the San Francisco service, Mr W. Wood, president of the Chamber of Commerce, said:— : "The chief disadvantage ig that according to the American shipping laws no foreign-owned ship can take cargo from one port in the United States to another port in the same country. Honolulu being now a part, of the United States so Britishowned ship can take produce from there to San Francisco. The disadvantages that the South Island labours under in connection with the service are not, in my opinion, worth considering, as when the North Island Main Trunk railway is through we shall be in very quick communication with Auckland, and we cannot have everything we want. The San Francisco service is decidedly the quickest we have, at jnresent, but I would certainly be in favour. of the Vancouver service if arrangements can be made for as quick delivery ac by d» Sao Francisco service. This is not improbable, as a quick route is to be opened between Canada and England shortly; and we should endeavour to fall in with the British All Red line. In my opinion the Vancouver service, with .either Auckland or Wellington, as the port of call, is preferable to the San Francisco route, as a market would spring up in British Colum"Ea for oar 'frozen saeat"