AN AUCKLAND AGITATION.

Press, Volume LXV, Issue 13547, 7 October 1909, Page 8

AN AUCKLAND AGITATION.

(press association telegram.)

AUCKLAND, October 6

A special meeting of the Executive Council of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce -was held this afternoon to consider the question of mail services. The chairman said that since the cessation of the San Francisco service, no quick steam service had existed between Great Britain and New Zealand. The promised service via Tahiti had failed, and the result now was that, notwithstanding our greatly increased trade importance, we were worse off than we were twenty-five years ago— in fact it took now thirty-five days for mails to travel from Great Britam to New Zealand. The steamers between Tahiti and New* Zealand might be good for a general cargo, passenger, and fruit tervice, but wero utterly inadequate for an up-to-date mail serviceThe Suez route was certainly not tbe route for New Zealand, but what was wanted was either a quick service via Fiji, as suggested by the Premier or that efforts should be made to get the San Francisco mail reinstated.. Mc moved:—"That tbe Government be requested by this Chamber to re-open negotiations with the Congress -of the United States of America, with the object of reinstating the San Francisco mail service between the United btates and Auckland, and that in the event ot failure to obtain the San Francisco service, the Premier -be requested to use every endeavour to obtain a fast service between New Zealand and Fiji in connection with the Canadian Pacific Mail Service; the service to take not more than twenty-eight days. The motion was carried unanimously.