MAIL SERVICES

Grey River Argus, 12 May 1911, Page 3

MAIL SERVICES

A ' MATTES. OF SPEED. AUCKLAND, May 5. Sir James Mills, intexvitewed on the a three days 'service between Auckland and Sydney, said that it was entirely a question of finance so far as the Union Company was concerned. To' maintain a fifteen knot service with a ;boat of -the Maheno class she would require to earn £6000 per month, la steamer of seventeen to eighteen knots would have .to earn £10,000 a month, and one of twenty knots ,£15,000 a month. A steamer of this last power would reach Auckland in sixty-four hours from Sydney, and a steamer of eighteen knots would accomplish the voyage in seventythree hours. The difference be.tween £6000 and £15,000 a month made it prohibitive at present. If an accelerated service was wanted for mail purposes it could be secured only if the Government considered it of sufficient importance to justify a suitable subsidy. At the present time he considered the service the company \va& running, namely, three days fourteen hours, sufficient for requirements, she would be able to maintain the speed for which she was designed, .but she would be improved so that she woudl be able to maintain the fifteen or sixteen knots required. A speed of fifteen knots would mean a run of three days fourteen hours. "I must confess," added Sir James "that my own feeling 4s, in view of possible developments in respect of the propulsion of steamers in the near future, that we should ;be content at present with out fifteen-knot services. # It seems quite possible that -before long the internal combustion machine enigine may 'become an accomplished fact, and this will necessarily lead to further great developments in connection with steamers, 'both for passenger and cargo purposes." Speaking of the Vancouver service Sir James Mills mentioned that the first outward" steamer calling at Auck land would be the Marama on August 3, while the same vessel woufd be the first inward steamer, calling about '■'° end of September on her return run. While an England Sir James Mills will arrange for the building- of a new steamer of 10,000 tons for the. Vancouver service.