HAWKE'S BAY HERALD

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 5, Issue 272, 12 April 1862, Page 4

HAWKE'S BAY HERALD

SATURDAY, APRIL 12, 1862. From time to time, the question of Steam Communication with England, by way of the Isthmus of Panama, has been agitated in these Colonies, but hitherto the agitation has led to no result, although on one occasion tenders were invited by the Home Government for the performance of the service. We observe that the Panama route is again exciting serious attention in New Zealand — the General Government, as well as several of the Provincial, having turned their attention to this importaut subject. At present this Colony is practically eight or ten days more distant from England than either Sydney or Melbourne is, and it loses in consequence one whole month in the course of post. By the establishment of the Panama route, this loss of time, so serious to mercantile men, would be obviated ; to say nothing of the time gained by some of the provinces between the arrival and departure of the mail. The time occupied on the voyage from England to New Zealand would be reduced to 40 days, and the distance to some 9(300 miles. It. would also open, a direct communication with North and South, America, and give a great impetus

to trade with the States and other parts of America/ — a consideration in itself which might become of no trifling importance. We extract from the columns of a southern contemporary, a table contrasting the present route via Suez, with the proposed route via Panama •:— Phesent Mail Route to New Zeaxakd. Southampton to Suez 3100 miles. ' Suez to Aden 1300 " AdentoGalle 2200 " Point de Galle to Melbourne 5000 " Melbourne to New Zealand . . . 1400 " Entire distance 13000 " Present passage, 60 to 70 days. Proposed Panama Rotjte to New Zealand. Milford Haven to Colon, calling at the Azores 4300 miles. Colon to Panama (Railway) 40 " Panama to New Zealand, coaling at the Gambiers 5320 " Entire distance 9660 " Practicable voyage, 40 days. Saving of distance via Panama line 3500 miles. Saving of time ....; 20 days. — Our contemporary adds : — These calculations are evidently made from reliable data. The forty days is evidently based on the ordinary stipulated mail rate, ten knots an hour, with an allowance of four days for contingencies and delay. — So far as New Zealand is concerned, nothing further is required to shew the importance of the Panama route ; but unfortunately that Colony alone is unable to provide the heavy subsidy that would be required ; though we perceive that some sanguine spirits, elated with the onward strides Otago has made under the auspices of her gold fields, begin to look upon even this as no longer beyond the means of so prosperous a Colony. To the Australian Colonies, the advantages of the Panama route over that by Suez, are not so obvious as in the case of New Zealand ;« still, the Legislature of New South Wales has for some years been anxious for the establishment of the former, whilst the Government of Victoria, on the contrary, has shewn itself rather jealous at the prospect of losing the advantage over New South Wales in the matter of steam, which it possesses under the present system. This rivalry, coupled with disinclination on the of the Home Government to bear any large part of the cost, have been the principal stumbling blocks hitherto. In 1858 the PostmasterGeneral of Great Britain reported that, so far as postal considerations were concerned, the second service (via Panama) was not then required. But Sir Henry Barkly, Governor of Victoria, writing in February, 1859, to the Secretary for the Colonies, expressed himself very favourable to the double line in the following words : — There is something so imperial in the idea of thus uniting the British dominions by means of a line of steamers circumnavigating the globe, and it offers at the same time such safeguards to these Colonies against interruption to their communication with the Mother Country through accident or otherwise, that I have always been disposed to view the project favourably, and though" conscious that obstacles exist to its accomplishment, and that a good deal of experience must be gained before it can be worked smoothly, I have given my best support to a line by way of the Pacific, especially since permanence of the established route through the old world has been placed beyond a doubt. — A little further on he writes : — Unfortunately, however, other considerations than those of either practicability or expense are introduced into such discussions by the jealousies prevailing between some of these Colonies, the question becoming in fact not one of Panama versus Suez, so much as of Sydney versus Melbourne. We believe this jealousy still exists ; but during the last three years New South Wales and New Zealand have made great advances in wealth and population, and the selfish policy of Victoria should no longer be permitted to keep the others in | the back ground. The colony of Queensland has also an interest in the Panama line identical with that of New South Wales, and would, no doubt, co-operate in its establishment. There is already an efficient monthly steam communication between England and the Isthmus of Panama by means of the West India Mail Company's steamers. The service required would therefore only be for the distance between Panama and Sydney, calling at New Zealand — about 6,500 miles — and even this would not be altogether an additional service, seeing that the establishment of this line would do away with the necessity of maintaining the present Inter-Colonial Company's steamers between Sydney and New Zealand. In December, 1859, Sir William Deuison, writing to the late Governor of New Zealand, expressed his opinion that a subsidy of £120,000 would be amply sufficient to remunerate a company for the risk and expense of conveying a monthly mail fi v om Panama to Australia, and more recent estimatesyrecluce... IMs , sum. : Previously to

this, the New South Wales Legißlature " had agreed to appropriate a sum riot r ex- " ceeding £50,000 per annum towards the , cost of this line, and had applied- to the Governments of the other Australian cb- ' f lonies, and that of New Zealand, to cooperate with them ; but for the reasons we have stated, the proposal was not carried into effect. Since that time, the subsidy payable to the Peninsular and Oriental Company for the" Suez route has been reduced, and the New South Wales Government has offered, if we are not mistaken, £75,000 towards the Panama service. With the co-operation of Queensland and New Zealand, there cannot surely be any further pecuniary obstacle. The Government of this Colony is, we believe, prepared to support a liberal vote in furtherance of that line, which is, beyond all doubt, the best for New Zealand.