AUCKLAND AS A COALING DEPOT. UNKNOWN

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XII, Issue 898, 5 February 1856, Page 3

AUCKLAND AS A COALING DEPOT. UNKNOWN

"The advices received from New York, per Baltic, speak most favourably of the prospects of the Panama Railway, as regards both the passenger and goods traffic. An agent of the company, who was sent down the south-west coast for the purpose of disseminating iiifoimation among merchants and others as to the facilities afforded by the Panama route, reports encouragingly as to the probable eaily diversion of produce thereto, of which there are already very decided indications. The first entire cargo canied over the line to Aspinwall and i there shipped for New York, was valued at 70,000 dollais, and consisted of Peruvian bark, log- wood, hides, chain cables and iron. The freight business by the Wet India Royal Mail and Pacific Steam Navigation Company now averages 700 packages per tiip, and is rapidly j increasing. The increase of exportation from the south- ] western parts has been very considerable. Freight, in fact, accumulates at Aspinwall faster than it can be , shipped to its destination : as.when the last vessel sailed, full, there were 1,300 sacks of cocoa and 800 bales of saisaparilla waiting for a ship. This route offers con- J siderable advantages to English merchants sending i goods to the Pacific coast, even without direct communication, as, though the rate of freight would be somewhat higher, this would be more than counterbalanced by the economy of time. The first cargo of ice sent from Boston to Aspinwall was delivered at Panama in 30 days, which is less than one-fourth of the average time 'required for the voyage round Cape Horn. A shipment of coal had been made at New York, to go over the railway to Panama for the use of a screw steamer intended to run between that port and Costa Rica. The Pacific Mail Steam, Company are making arrangements for recemn«j 1000 tons per month over the line, their former experiments having demonstrated the superior economy of this route, even for so bulky an article as coal. The passenger traffic over the lino is also increasing, the Empire City having landed 878 persons at Aspinwall on her last trip, and the number who passed over in the month of August being 3415, which is more than the average of the chief engineer's estimate for 1856. The number would probably have been greater but for the combination of the Pacific steam companies to raise the through fares, a step which renders the establishment of steam communication between England and Australia, via Panama, of more importance than ever. The desirability of this conimuniuatioii is, daily becoming more urgently felt, both here and in the colonies; but the plan which has been represented by certain interested parties as having found favor with the Governor and Council of New South Wales, of a line of steamers from Panama to Tahiti.with branch lines from the latter place to Sydney and Melbourne, is by no means the best that could be devised for the puipose, involving as it does the unnecessary delay of transhipment at Tahiti, and the expence of maintaining a coaling station midway in that part of the voyage where steam is least required, and where, of course, no inducement whatever offers on the score of passengers, whereas very different results wouldbe obtainable by the substitution of Auckland as a coaling depot. These disadvantage* might be avoided, and Melbourne put upon an equality with Sydney, by the establishment of a fortnightly communication via Singapore, in connection with the Suez route to India, alternately with another line via Panama and Auckland. Considerable portions of these two great trunk lines are already established by paeans of the Peninsular and Oriental and Royal Mail b teampacket Companies, and the New York steam packets would secure the communication between Australia and America. Melbourne would have the advantage by the Indian, and Sydney by the Pacific line ; whilst

New Zealand would be served first and last alternately. In order, however, to affnd Melbourne equal advantages with Sydney by the Pacine line, a branch steamer might be ready at Auckland on the arrival of the vessel from Panama the latter proceeding to that one of the two great Australian ports for which the largest number of passengers and the largest amount of freight might be destined, and the branch otoaxno; to the oth?r. By this nuans, the unil* w. mid be delivered in the two cities almost biuiultitue m^ly. B. r th'j adoption of this plan the jealousy between Melbourne and Sydney would be removed, the rising colony of Now Zealand duly cared for, grciirer *ac .lines afforded for the large at d increasing trade between Austr«tlii and the United States, and a stimulus given to the managers of both lines to make the eont«nurucntion as efficient .is possible. By having two lines, moreover, the jarring of rival companies would be prevented ; ail Anglo-Australian interests would be served and colonial producers concilinted ," and the home Government, no longer distracted and perplexed by d-ig-ia-the-mangsr obstinac y in one qu trier and another, would be alike able and willing to meet the whole requirements of the case in a spirit of Imperial liberality and efficiency.