MAIL SERVICES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 827, 27 May 1910, Page 2

MAIL SERVICES.

AUCKLAND REPLIES TO WELLINGTON. (By TcleEr.ish.—Specinl Correspondent.) Auckland, May 26. . Implying to the letter from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce regarding the Vancouver mail service, Mr. Gim--1 son, president of the Auckland Chamber ' of Commerce, says:— "The attitude of the. Wellington Onamber on this question is extra- ■ ordinary. At the conference of tho [ Chambers of Commerce of New Zea- . land, held last year in .Wellington, an ; exhaustive discussion took place on ; 'ocean mail services.' The following [ resolution was moved by Christchurch: 'That the Government' be urged to ■ take steps to make arrangements to . have tho Vancouver mail service in- . sititted, so that New Zealand will have . tho first, inward and last outward port . of call.' It was seconded by Inveri cargill, who intimated that they had ; great pleasure in supporting it. Pali merston North and Oamaru reprosentaj tives warmly advocated it, but slyly ; mentioned Wellington as tho port of ! call. The Wellington representatives i themselves supported the motion, which [ tho conference adopted. The resolution was conveyed to the Prime Minister, - and voiced by the Wellington president . (Mr. W. G. Duthie). Sir Joseph Ward . cordially received it, and in reply stated i that ho 'was with the deputation in wanfr- [ ing an improved mail sen-ice.' He was i anxious to see brought about a forti nightly servico superior to anything i they ever had. "I have only found time," added Mr. i Gunson, "for a cursory glanco at the . Wellington Chamber's letter as telegraphed. On receipt of it I will reply i fully. From tho above, however, it is obvious that 'tho greater caro and dis- [ crimination' and lavish expenditure cry . is quite of recent date, practically i since Auckland was named by Sir r Joseph Ward as port of call, and even 3 since Wellington , advocated 'subsidies t for direct liners,' which tho Postmaster- > General affirms are not warranted, which j view my chamber has held from tjio , outset. If. Wellington is feeling tho ] pinch of hard times—which we regret, r and I am glad to say such is felt t here, for Auckland was never more i prosperous—that is no valid reason why . the Dominion, after declaring with ) practically one voico for, the Vancouver 1 service, should be penalised by the f continuance) of totally-inadequate mail . and passenger trade facilities, and an j increasing forfeiture of tho Pacific j routes. \ i "My chamber," concluded Mr. Gunj son, "is fully alive to the question of i the energetic construction of the East i Coast and other proposed North Island r railway lines, and is quite with AVel- [ lington on tho necessity of such."