Hawke's Bay Herald TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1870.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 15, Issue 2011, 6 December 1870, Page 2

Hawke's Bay Herald TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6, 1870.

THE MAIL SERVICE VIA SAN FRANCISCO. We imagine there cau be only one feeling, and that a feeling of complete satisfaction, created iu overy part of the colony, by the announcement of the conclusiou of the contract for the new mail service between New Zealand and Sau Fraucisco. As soon as the news came of the amalgamation of interests between Mr. Webb and the North Pacific Trausportatiou Company, some of our contemporaries were in haste to point out how, had it not bceu for the ill-considered action of the N/ew Zealaud Government, we might have obtained a highly satisfactory service. Oue cau imagine the horror and astonishment of these sapient editors, ou receiving the news that a service, satisfactory beyond all anticipation, had actually been established. The present service is, no doubt, a marvel of cheapuess ; it was shown by figures, which could not fail to carry conviction to the most obtuse, as well as to the most disingenuous intellect, that it was greatly superior iu point of expedition to that by Suez, and about equal to that by Panama ; while costiug one-third of the money. At the same time it was never imagined, by its projectors, that, iu its present form, at least, it was the best possible service. Besides the failure of the steamers employed iu it to accomplish the voyage within the contract time, it has two other great defects. First, it is not a through line to San Francisco ; second, its terminus is not in New Zealand. In the debate in the House on the subject, the advantages of a through line as opposed to a branch liue, were depreciated by Mr. Stafford on grounds which were obviously quite irrevelant. He said, with truth, that it would bo of little importance to the passengers whether they had to be transshipped at Honolulu or not ; indeed the transshipment was often the pleasantcst part of the voyage ; they would have, of course, no trouble with their luggage iu a properly organised service, as the officials would arrange all this for them. This is true enough, but the object of establishing a through line is uot to afford any additional convenience to passengers, but to afford additioual facilities for commerce. In a mercantile point of view, it is all important to avoid transshipment ; indeed, by a route where the necessity for it exists, it is impossible that traffic on an extensive scale could be carried on. Mr. Stafford's sententious and statesmanlike utterances make his speeches the pleasantesfc reading in Hansard, but it must be owned that he combines with his very considerable rhetorical qualifications, an almost feminine ignorance of business. The new route will remedy the first-named defect ; it will also remedy the second, by making Port Chalmers, instead of Sydney, the terminus. It is a matter of comparatively little importance to the colony, that any of its ports should be simply a port of call. If the passengers have a few hours to stay there, they may, perhaps, go the length of the nearest hotel, and get some sandwiches and some brandy, but this will bo about the extent of the benefit that the trade of the place will derive from them. If the ; terminus is made to be within the colony, on the other hand, the vessels j would refit there, and would get their coals and supplies of provisions for the voyage, so that in all probability, the colony will gaiu far more by the development of its coal fields, and the employment afforded to labour and capital -within it, than the amount which it would have to contribute as subsidy. These advantages are now accomplished facts. Six months ago they were vague aspirations, which none but the most sanguine entertained. But there i3, in addition to these, another advantage, hitherto more improbable of attainment even than these, which is now contingent ou nothing but on the action of our own Legislature. Who could have imagined that it would have been possible for us to divert the traffic between Australia and America from its natural course, and bring it round by New Zealand ? thus making one of the highways of the world pass by our threshold. Not only have we now the j main line from Sau Francisco running direct to our ports, but we have it in our power to prevent branch lines from the Australian colonies, or from any other place, from connecting with the main line at any port not in New Zealand. Wo should hardly like to say how great nu increase iu the subsidy we think it would be worth giving, in order to gain this advantage. If the Australian traffic passed through the colouy during the term of this cou tract, supposing the term to be made ten years, as the contractors desirn, it would be secured to us for ever. By the end of that time the colony would have grown to be a place of such importance that no line could afford to pass it by. But tho most marvellous thing is, that, so far as we can see, the colony will not have to pay any additional subsidy whatever for this advantage. Nominally it would have to pay £60,000 insteadl of £40,000, as voted by the House, but for this sum it would have iu addition a branch line to Sydney, and save iu this manner some five or six thousand

pounds. Also there is every reason to believe that the deduction to be made onaccouut of Australian subsidies, aud of the settiug free of postal charges betweeu Sau Francisco aud Great Britain uuder tho convention with the United States, will be much greater than could harebeeu anticipated when the £40,000 was voted. Further, we should not be justified in concluding that, because only £40,000 was asked for and voted, more than £40,000 would uot have been voted had it been asked for. There were obvious reasons why the PostmasterGeneral should have kept the sum named as small as possible. It might be taken for granted that, whatever sum was voted, the contractors would demand at least tho whole of this sum. In making appropriations of the kiud, therefore, it is always the safest priuciple to make them rather under than over the mark. As soon as the Pacific railroad was started, the attention of the United States Government was drawn to the necessity of opening up a trade with these colonies, in order that tho railroad itself might be a commercial success. While they were considering how this could best be done, little New Zealand did it for them, by establishing the preseut service. Her action in tho matter excited a feeling of genuine admiration and goodwill towards us among the Yankees. It would be no exaggeration to attribute the extremely favorable and flattering terms they have accorded to us in the postal treaty, iu part at least, to thia feeling. Not only are our mails to be carried gratis across the American continent, but no letters from any other colouy will be carried at any price, without our consent. No doubt the policy of New Zealand, in connection with this new line, will again create astonishment in America. If we may judge by the letter from the Califoruian correspondent of the Cross, it was generally supposed there that New Zealand would content herself with establishing a branch service from Fiji, while the main lino would run to Sydney or Melbourne. Wheu they hear that we have secured tho main liue for ourselves, we shall rise still further in their estimation. If this esteem should carry them the length of taking off the duty ou wool and flax it would, no doubt, bo duly reciprocated here. It may be that they see a possibility in the future that, while Victoria will keep up her connection with the Old World by Suez, and New South Wales may connect herself anew by Torres Straits, New Zealand and Polynesia will gravitate towards the new. The marked success which has attended Mr. Vogel's negotiations in this matter, aud the great capacity for business which he has displayed, are a good augury for the successful carrying out of the other parts of his policy. Men possessed of his peculiar talents, generally employ them iu making their own fortunes ; when one can be found who is willing to devote them to the public service, he is invaluable. The sum which has been saved at home iu conuectiou with the dockyard expenditure since the admiralty has been in i the haud3 of such thorough meu of business, as Mr Childers aud Mr. Baxter, is something incredible ; aud while the importance of having meu of this stamp filling the higher offices of tho state, is becoming every day more fully recognised in Great Britaiu, it is a matter of still greater importance here, as almost all the questious which concern us most deeply, are in the meantime economical ones. The more highly that we appreciate the excellence of the new arraugement, by so much the more deeply do we regret that Napier is to be excluded from its benefits. The mail steamer, after leaviug Aucklaud harbour, will run past Hawko's Bay, almost within sight of Napier, on its way to Wellington, Lytteltou and, Port Chalmers. The population of Napier itself, iudeed, is but small, but ifs importance is not to be measured by its population. By its omission large tracts of country extending all along the East Coast, will be left out of the direct line of communication. The Government quite appreciate tho force of the reasons for making Napier a port of call, but hitherto they have beeu unable to prevail upon the contractors to look on the matter in the same light. A more monstrous piece of injustice thau that involved in the passing by of Napier it is difficult to conceive. The mail steamer will pass within sight of Scinde Island ; its smoke will be distinctly seen by the inhabitants, who, nevertheless, may have to wait a fortnight or more for their mails. Such an arraugemeut, if finally ratified, will be a mosfc disgraceful one; and we call upon tho members for the district, whose position, as it happens, is an influential one, to represent to the Government tho serious consequences of thus shutting out the East Coast and centre of the North Island from all participation in the benefits of the contract. We would also suggest, by way of strengthening the hands of these gentlemen, that a public meeting of the inhabitants, to give expression to their sense of the treatment they are threatened with, be held with as little delay as possible.