MAIL SERVICES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 20, 18 October 1907, Page 10

MAIL SERVICES.

ItlV \L ROUTES. :'- : , : V Apropos of the' question of tho relative superiority of the Suez and Vancouver mail our attention has been drawn to tho following figures, which show tho details of both services under existing conditions, oxcept that a connection is assumed, involving no loss, of time, with the Vancouver mail at Suva. Via Vancouver. 'From'Wellington-to London anil back, takes 90 days. From London to Wellington and back, takes 97 days. Via Suez. . From Wellington to London and back, talcos.Bo to 81 days. From London to•-Wellington and back, '-' takes 77 to 78 days. •' The inference drawn is that a remarkable effort will liavo to bo mado to give this country as good a servico via Vancouver as tlio" present one' via Suez. * With a view to completing tho comparison as to tho times attainablo by each route, a Vancouver servico is assumed with tho same date of departure from Now Zealand for London as the late San Francisco service, run under a subsidy provisional "that the: specid. to bo maintained across the Pacific Ocean must not be . less than sixteen knots, with an allowance of 36 hours for stoppages. Theso conditions reduce the time between Wellington and London to 33 days., ... rr Via Vancouver. Wellington to London and back,"takes - 71' to 72 days. London to. Wellington and back, takes : SO to 81.days. If' the aliove be compared with tlie Suez service it' will'be found th'at' in'orio' case' the:. Vancouver servico has an advantage of nine days, while'in'the othor case the Suez servico has an advantage of three, days. But tho Suez' mails provide/throe, opportunities each : way to each one .provided; by; the Vancouver. QUESTION IN PARLIAMENT-. " In reply' to a question _by Mr. Baume in the House of Representatives yesterday, the Postmaster-General said: "I am making inquiries with a; view to seeing whether the Union Company can arrange-to make a closer 'connection from Zealand. As regards the September, arrival,-tho Atua was time-tabled to' leave Suva lour days before the arrival of the Vancouver 'steamer, but a non-timo-tablo steamer, the Wanaka, left for Auckland four days after tho Vancouver mails reached the sugar season several vessels .of'tlie Union Citfmpany do not run.to a tho postmaster at- Suva was not ;awaro> when tha Vancouver ,;steame'r-Vsbf':;;.Septeml)er 2 arrived there .^at v for the New .t)ia:n that by way of Sydney. -.. : that'--the postihaster, Suva,'■ may'in in aj'iiosition to detormine asearly-, as ;-pqssible • -thft. best mode of despatohing;;.thp-''tranphipppd.:.Van-couver mails to Zo(ilahd'i - arrangements liavo been niado'- for.: the -.-local office of tho .Union Steam Ship' Company to furnish him regularly with oarticiilar'srof: the movemonts of the companj^s'vessels'."- . .