NEW MAIL SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1239, 22 September 1911, Page 8

NEW MAIL SERVICE

VANCOUVER TO AUCKLAND. STATEMENT BY SIR JOSEPH WARD. THE CONTRACT APPROVED. Sir Joseph Ward submitted his propoials regarding a subsidised service of mail steamers betwectn Auckland and Vancouver to the Il3ii-:<> of Representatives last evening. They were in tho main favourably received by Mr. Massey and other members by whom they were subjected to non-party criticism. Tho Prime Minister stated that, subject to ratification by the nous?, the Government had entered into a contract for renewal of the service between Canada and New Zealand. It had been necessary to take this action some months previously, when tho Government of Canada entered into negotiations for tho sf>r-. vice. New Zealand had lost this service some years ago when Brisbane was made a port of call. This had destroyed its utility from a mail point of view, so far as New Zealand was concerned. It would havo been better to rely on the Suez service. But it was advantageous to have a servic! via Canada, particularly in view of the discontinuance of tho San Francisco service. From a through-cargo pint of view the new service would not be of great value, because of the high overland charges. Australia Stands Out. I Tho position now was that a service from Canada via Honolulu and Fiji to New Zealand, had been secured for a subsidy of ,£:>0,000 per annum. Canada was to pay ,£37,(191 per annum, and Fiji He had hoped that the Commonwealth, Government would have been able to join with New Zealand in this matter, but the Australian authorities had declined.'. The contractors for the service had the option of going on to Australia from Auckland, and returning again from Sydney. It was ncce.--.sary to do this as, if the service were confined to New Zealand, it could not be obtained for the subsidy agreed upon. It was, perhaps, a little hard unon this country that Australia obtained the benefits of this service without payment.. There was little doubt that, if the two countries camo together and made a large contribution, before verr long it would be possible to havo a still finer 'and faster class of steamers than were to be provided under tho present contract. However, this must be done by the goodwill of Australia. Ho could only hope that the Australians would sec their way later on to join in this service. The contract was for five years from IMI. Three steamers would bo employed, the Makura, the Marama, and the Zealandia. He had been informed by the Union Company not long ago that a large, steamer was being built, which would bo employed in this trade. Ihe tonnage of' the "steamers was to be not less than 6009 tons. The time occupied on tho voyage would bo 19 days, and mails would be carried to London in 31 days. Special facilities would be given for carrying butter and cheese, much of which had hitherto been sent via Australia. There would be ten thousand cubic feet refrigerating space in each of two steamers, and 5000 feet in <he third. Two thousand feet would be reserved m each steamer during nine months in the year for New Zealand cold-storage cargo. In the new steamer which was coming along shortly a larger amount of refriper[•tinif space would be reserved. After July 1, 1312. further arrangements would Ik> "made in regard to refrigerating space. Steps would be taken, to prevent a few shippers monopolising tho available space The service was not as fast as he would like to see it, but the contribution was moderate, and a <jqod mail and passenger service, and refrigerating space would bo provided for a period of five years. Establishing a Nucleus. Masimums would bo stated beyond which freights and passenger fares would not bo permitted to rise. A better service could only bo secured by. paying a very much larger subsidy. In the event ot a faster service being arranged across die ■Ulancic between tho United Kingdom and Canada, and a faster overland journey, no doubt a faster service between Canada nnd New Zealand could also be arranged. \\ r ith the class of steamers now engaged upon the Pacific, it was impossible to muko a contract for less than five- years. The service would alternate with ono now running to San Francisco. Tho latter service was not intended as a fast one, but rather as one for ths carriage of perishable products, and to maintain the service to tho Pacific Islands. They are providing that tho difference between the two services ou tho outward journey should be seven days, and on the inward journey U days. If they wanted to have the nucleus of a permanent service, this was tho best thing they could do at the present time. One thing making it desirable that tho period should be fixed for h've years was that shortly before the expiration of that period the Panama (■anal would be opened. Some lines, including the direct lines to New Zealand, would then, no doubt, find it advantageous to run steamers through the canal. The service now proposed seemed to him to cover a gap that intervened between tho present time and the periods at which the Panama Canal would be opened.

A Benefit to New Zealand. Mr. Massey said he was inclined to think that so far as the principle of tho motion was concerned there would bo little difference of opinion among members. He agreed with many people in this country that the existing mail services wcro inadequate, and, in fact, unworthy of the .Dominion. As to the Suez service, ho considered that its maintenance meant that this country was dragged at the chariot wheels of the Commonwealth. Tho old San Francisco servico was one of the best that this country had ever enjoyed. This service had cost very litlle indeed, because under it Xeiv Zealand got the postage. While recognising tho advantages of having a service under the British flag, he considered that contracts might have been called ivith an under-

standing that neither the. Unkn nor any other would h> specially favoured. Ho welcomed the service and believed that it would l>o a benefit to New Zealand.

llr. G. 11. l'onle (Auckland West) congratulated Iho Prime Minister upon the inauguration t>l the new arrangement. Mr. A. jr. Myers (Auckland East) si id ho would have liked to fro a moro rapid service, so that the mails could reach lx>ndon within 31) day?, even if a. higher subsidy had been required, lie suggested the appointment of trade commissioners in Canada.

Mr. J. P. Luke (Wellington Suburb?) said he would have, liked to see the Prime Minister's proposed AH-Hed route scheme carried out. lie thought that with an improved M'rvico the fradft and passenger traffic between Now Zealand and Canada would considerably increase.

Mr. W. 11. ilerries (Tauranga) said ho thought we ought to pet a better service for the money we spent. Instead of three mail services as at pment, wo should have one good sorvico of 2S days, via Vancouver or San Frnnci.=M. This could probably be done if wo paid ono bigger subsidy, instead of the three present subsidies for the Vancouver. San Francisco, nnd Suez services. He questioned whether it was worth while including Fiji in tho Vancouver sen-ice. Was not fivo years too long a period for such an agreement? Tho Union Company would be able to use steamers for some other run if necessary, whereas, if tho Panama Canal was opened before the five years were up, tho service would be out of date. The Premier in Reply, Sir Joseph Ward, in reply, said the .£20,000 was tho whole amount we had to pay. There would lx> no additional payment on postages, ns in tho old San Francisco , service. The steamers b°twec.i Honolulu anil San Francisco could not carry owirm to tho American shipping laws, but there was no such restriction in reeard to passengers between Honolulu and A r an«mver. It would not hnvo been possible for New Zealand to call for tenders as suggested by Mr. Mnwey, because Now Zealand was only one of the parties subsidising tho service. Wo \Tori> Hie smallest contributor of the two, pnd had to fall info lino with the Canadian Government, which called for tenders, nnd made a contract with the Union Company. All the steamers were twin-srrew steamers, aid were named in the contract. They would nil carry wirel"ss Mreraphy: all steamers trading for New Zealand wore l>onn<! to do so. He K.ireed with Mr. Myers that nil exnorting country like New Zealand should have trnile commissioners abroad. The exwas infinitesimal compared with th« benefit to bo derived. Now Zealand had led the way in this matter, but other countries were now doing more. The suggestion of Mr. Herries to leave out Fiii and thus cnin a day w.is impracticable, because the call was desirable as an inducement to to travel by that line of steamers. Pas=p'igers were verv glad of a break in a long voyage, nnd a number of vnssengers would bo picked up at Fiji. Tho rceried nf five years had been fixed by Canada, and he thought rightly. The Express Line and Allan Line services between Canada and England were very good ones, but we also had the alternative of putting the mails through from Vancouver to New York. The quickest route in every instance would ba adopted. From n sentimental aspect he ajrrrcd pith Mr. Herries's idea to combine the t]ireo subsidies and devote the money to one quicker service, but ho thought the present, arrangement was preferable because of its valup in giving facilities for trade. If we devoted the equivalent of the. present three subsidies and a further sum to a Vancouver service we roight get a 21-days' service. He thought that under the new Vancouver contract tlie mails would frequently reach London in 28 days. The weekly service via Suez was convenient for all classes of the community, and the time had not yet come to discontinue that subsidy. After the Houso had gone into Committee on the resolution, Sir Joseph Ward stated, in reply to Mr. Massoy, that tho subsidy was fixed at a maximum of £20,600, so that in such an event as one of the regular steamers lseins laid up and delay caused thereby, the subsidy for that year could be reduced. Tho resolution was agreed to.