The Hastings Standard Published Daily WEDNESDAY, NOV. 17, 1897. CATCHING THE MAIL.

Hastings Standard, Issue 478, 17 November 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 17, 1897. CATCHING THE MAIL.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The question of the mail services will come before Parliament this week and there is certain to be some edifying speeches on the matter. There are two services that wish to obtain subsidies from New Zealand and the representatives of the two lines are now in Wellington and of course are lobbying and button - holeing members and doing their utmost to prove that " Codlin is the friend not Shortt." The two services that are competing for the subsides are the Vancouver service and the 'Frisco Line and with characteristic shrewdness the rival shipping companies have interested Auckland and Wellington in their respective claims. The Northerly City swears by the 'Frisco service and the Empire City is beginning to appreciate the Vancouver service, and both cities will have much to say in favor of the services they support. Wellington will naturally and properly point to her central position and demand that whatever service is subsidised that Port Nicholson shall be the terminal port. She will further make much of the fact that the last incoming Vancouver steamer brought 850 tons of cargo for New Zealand ports all of which was unloaded and got ready for transhipment in an incredibly short space of time. Auckland on the other hand will point to the long and in her opinion excellent service rendered by the 'Frisco service, but Auckland will rely not upon argument but on brute force to compel acceptance of her demands. Auckland members will hang together on this matter notwithstanding that on questions of general politics they differ from one another. There is no cohesion among the members of the Wellington Province, and very little among the members repressnting the metropolis. If it comes to a tussle between the two places we shall expect to see Auckland win, but we have to reckon with the fact that Mr Seddon has some prodigious and ambitious ideas respecting mail routes, fast steamers, cargo boats and foreign markets, and it remains to be seen how far his ideas sympathise ■with the claims of the contending parties or how far he is opposed to them. Then we have to take into consideration tije ideas and opinions of meui-

bers who are not directly interested from a political point of view with the aspirations of either party. We have not the least hesitation in say ins that the colony can do without the 'Frisco service and the Vancouver service, and any subsidy granted to either service will be wasted money. What the colony needs is not so much a quick mail service'with Great Britaiu, but a regular service with Lohdon at short and convenient intervals. The best interests of the colony lie in subsidising and supporting the direct steam services, which after all will give us the best returns. The Vancouver and 'Frisco services are purely mail and passenger services, fast, comfortable, and affording that variety of scene which travellers appreciate, the direct service if not possessing these advantages to the same extent will serve the purpose of New Zealand in enabling our producers to get their produce to the market at regular intervals, and in good condition. Just fancy for a moment what New Zealand would be without its direct trading steamers ? The New Zealand Shipping Company and the Shaw, Savill Company have helped us to build up our huge export produce trade, especially in perishable products such as butter, cheese, frozen meat, &c., and instead of encouraging these services we have battened upon them and demanded concessions of one kind and another until we have very nearly driven those companies out of the trade. If a subsidy must be paid let us take care that we get full value for the money, and that we shall never do if we prop up either the 'Frisco service or the Vancouver service. The Australian Colonies enjoy the benefits of direct services and the great liners of the Orient, P. & 0., British India S.N. Co., Gulf Line, and others carry away an immense quantity of produce, and the sister colonies are enable to extend the varieties of their experts. From every point of view of economy and utility the direct services are the best for an exporting Colony like New Zealand, and our legislators will be taking a wise step in ottering every inducement and giving substantial encouragement to the direct liners.