VANCOUVER &AIL SERVICE.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIII, Issue 129, 1 June 1907, Page 4

VANCOUVER &AIL SERVICE.

At present tho Union Company is running steamers from Brisbane to Vancouver under a subsidy of £37,000 f rom tho Dominion and £26,000 from the Commonwealth. This contract was to expiro at the end of July, but a cable message announced tho other day that it was understood that tho Union Company had secured an ex'-ensien for twelve months. Negotiations with tbo Federal Poslmnster-Ocneral (Mr. Chapman) havo been going on for bomo weeks, and the tide of overture is a>t last taking a favourablo turn, from an Australasian point of view. A despatch from Sydney on Thursday dcckreJ Ihrtt matters in connection with the Vancouver carvice wero still pending, but the continuation of tho "message hinted that a good settlement of the problem was not au improbability. ''Ihcvo is a probability of tha service, if placed on greatly improved lines, becoming Iho principal medium of conveyance of tho English mails." it was stated. "Thij view is evidently bofore the mind of the Federal Government as an alternative if tho ilail Syndicate's contract falls tlr.ough. It is well known that tlio Postmastei'-Gcnerni (Mr. Chapman) has a leading towards tho Canadian rovito, and favours ths work being carried out, if possible, by an Australian company." Kfcv/ Zsnland hno always been willing tb vrork in with Australia to secure a nnil ccrvko to England via Canadi said the Acth^-Pieniior (the Hon. W. Ha:lJonzs) recently, buc, of coaivo, the ste?niers must call at a Na^v Zealand po:t, nnd there is tho matter cf nubsidies to be ssttled. Or.c cadlo, advo:?tcd in Australia suggests that £110,000. of which Canada should contribute £50,000, New Zealand £40,000, and tbo Commonwealth £20,000 ,_ v.ould maintain a sixteen-knofc service in the Pacific, and wouldi induce the gap betiveen Sydney and London to 26i da^s. The time would suit 3S"ew Zo.iland, but tho linal adjustment d>l the subsidy sharcß way lead to a little debate. However, tho publis men of th:r> country, led by the Premier (Sir Joseph Ward) have definitely promised that >icw Z-saland v.ould glaciy bear a rcasonabls sliaro of tho monetary buraen. Indeed, >Sir Joseph- has even gone to far as to express h',o confidence that New Zealand would bo rb!c to jo]n in supporting a s3Tvico tha: would uiaks this Stits only twenty days distant from London. Thio project woulu require a half a million 'subiidy, of vhich Acv Zcalmd might Inve to pioylde come thing liko £103,000. Groat Britain has proaiiwdi to co-opcrat2 with her dependencies in x rr °vidmg x fast tcrvico, and iho fctrateaic imjpoitiiuci of this rapid transit by rn~All-Red route h:w led The Tin:.:a to thun<!cr in its cupport. But this bChc:no uppenrs too big lor a beginning. New Zealand is not so much concerned in getting the days reduced to a niisiniuci cs in obtaining regular, reliable communication. When the San I'rancis:o Gtcamais bsgan playing hioo-and-aeck on the high co.^, the conimcTchl men were quick to anrour.ee that they would prefer the surer Suez route, and cinco tlio Vancouver project cr.ir.o into prominence they havo rcpoatcij their belief that regularity is thb x'u'ncipal thing to to achisved. The bulk of opinion seeni3 to be in favour of a moderatclv fasL fleet, who3o goings and coming's would bs acconliiig to time-table, and not to b,,d co.-il or defective machinery. Whib there ia i:o doubt that New Zealand is willing to pay for a linking with England by British poiti:, details remain to bo settled. It has bsen mentioned that tho Canadian-Pacifis Company was expectod to take advantage of tho withdrawal of tbo Spieckels steamers by transferring ths Empress fleet to the Pacific Ocean, nnd it'lu oven stated that llio Australian Mail Syndicates mi>jlit make a. bid foi this busintss. Thase schonea lira not likely to appeal to New Zealand, which has a homo fleet that will gua.ranto2 to cairy tha mails fast end faithfully. "Wo must help tho Union Company to strengthen tho Vancouver line," urged the Sydney Morning Herald i the other day, and this eer.Ununb will bo heartily approved hero This company lias already won an admirabk name for reliability, and it hopes to even increase its reputation with new steamers that will soon be in those seas.