THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S REPLY.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12593, 8 September 1906, Page 10

THE POSTMASTER-GENERAL'S REPLY.

Sir Joseph Ward, in replying, aeke-d whait was the use of arguing for a service—the Vancouver one—that could not be got- The Union S.te. &inpa!ny had !**« £20 -^ t Li year I and this sum had been, offered whon -t.be matter was being discussed with the Federal Government in -Mr Milis's presence to bring the Australian, boats o» to New Zealand. U\e Federal Government now objected to the Vancouver boats leaving Brisbane | out and coming on, to New /calami, so tho £20,000 a year which had been authorised by Parliament was still standing. That disposed of the aucouver service. Then the member tor Kaiapoi proposed that a subsidy should ] be paid for transhipping at »»™ tho j mails from Vancouver. In tho first place ho would point out that it would take- mails four days longer to reach England by Vancouver than by ban Francisco. He would much prefer to pay a straight-out subsidy for a mail service than subsidise a servire that ivoiild require transhipment or this kind. Ho was opposed t-o paying tor transhipping either by Vancouver or a jit ot!w line. People who were travelling could not bo bothered tranehipleaving the boat at San Francisco*, and taking boat again at New York. That meant a lot ol additional inconvennence and expense. 'Hie suggestion had been made that bocause the Ban Francisco steamers were subsidised by the American Government, and were American owned, we ought not to support them. Well, it the House was prepared to do it. they could get over the difficulty, but he did ■not think it was. The alternative was to pay for a li.ue of steamers, under the New Zealand or the British flag, but they could not get such a service under £120,000 a year. Personally, lie was strongly opposed to the prohibition on foreign ships carrying between Hcnolulu and San. Francisco. It would bo much better if our steamers were allowed to carry between those ports, but they would* under existing conditions, have to leavo Honolulu out, and, consequently for the sentiment of having our own steamers, we should huvc to pay the full subsidy both ways. Jt would be a wonderfully good piece ot businot-K to got the steamers for £100,000 on thcee conditions. Ho very much regretted that every time the ftan Francisco service cropped up, there were extraordinary desiree on tho part of wine members to introduce- provincial animosity because tho steamers touched at Auckland, (dice of "Ho! Ho!") Ho might be wrong, but that wns the impression he had formed. Yet ho assured the House they could not get a faster, and certainly not a cheaper, service. There was no mail service in tho world bound to rim to time-table that was received for 50 email a sum as £20,000 a year. That wa« a mere bagatelle, ami it appeared to him they were rather fastidious, unices they could got a better service. As for tho Commonwealth service, Now Zealand had not been communicated with at all, but it was intimated in the Financial Statement that tho Government proposed to ask for the steamei-s to come on to Now Zealand. The Federal PostmafcterGeneral- said" they wanted the steamers to call at Sydney and Melbourne rather than go direct from Adelaide to New Zealand, and that, of course, would not be of so much advantage to Xew 'Zealand. It would bo .eighteen months before these steamers wero running, and he questioned whether we should be able to get them to come her© >at all. Mr Aitkpii: "They won't come." Sir Joeeph Ward agreed that they •would probably not come and that simply brought them'back to Vancouver or San Francisco. Membem: "What about the Suez route?" Sir Joseph Ward: "Oh, yes, the new route, but that would mean subsidising linos of steamers between hero and Australia." A Member: "Well why don't you do it?" . Sir Joseph Wardv "It-.is. a, matter worthy of and I iim "willing to consider it." Mr James Allen denied that he hnd ever exhibited any provincial jealosy. He had voted for the San Francisco service up to now, but unless some arrangements could be made with the Americans Jto treat us fairly he was not prepared to subsidise tfieir boats any longer. Tho cost of thp service to New Zealand was £14,855 and the postages collected in tho colony amounted to £16,453. vSir Josoph Ward replied that the service cest New Zealand £14,000, which was the smallest amount paid for any service of the kind. A 9 for Mr James Allen's desire to reduce the vote, ho pointed out that the vote did not comimit the colony to renewing the service. Before that could be done, the authority of Parliament would have to bo obtained! in tho form of a resolution of the House. If that resolution was not carried, then, they would pay up to November and the balance of the vote would net be expended. Members were ndt being asked to commit themselves to renewing the service. Proposals with tliat object would' be brought dowiii later in. tho session. He was just as strcrrgly opposed to tih© American laws as thjj.'•'member for Bruce, but lie was not insensible to tho fact that we cpuTd not change those navigation, laws. That was no legitimate reason, for saying we were not going to (have a good mail service to England. If they coiikl get a better service, by .all means let them do co, but at prcsenlt there "wae no better one in view. Mr Aitken: "What about Suez? 1, Sir Joseph Ward replied that tihe average time from London to Auckland by San Francisco Was 31 days, and from Auckland to London 30 days. The average time from .Bluff to London by Suez was 39 days by the P. and 0. line, and 41 days by the Orient, line. Mr Aitken: 'Take seven days off from heTe to Australia. ,, Tho debate was terminated by the dinner adjournment, tbe vote being then passed without further discussion.