THE CAPE SERVICE.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue 7385, 11 February 1902, Page 2

THE CAPE SERVICE.

This week tenders close for the establishment of a line of steamers between New Zealand and South Africa, and there will be general hope that there will be a successful issue to the efforts being made to get the service. Speakers at the recent Conference of Chambers of Commerce, " however, did not seem very confident. One leading merchant said that it seemed to him the proposals of the Government advertisement calling for tenders were working in the wrong direction. As he read- the advertisement, the tenders called for vessels to discharge entirely in South Africa. These vessels would have i hereafter to take their way back to New Zealand without any chance of doing a hack trade. Hence a great burden would have to be assumed by the colony in supporting an expensive line, or the terms of tbe advertise* ment would have to be altered. Three years ago an attempt had been made by the shipping com* pauies to establish direct line?, and a deputation representing the New Zealand and Shaw, Savill Shipping Companies at that time waited ou the Premier, and offered to enter into a monthly service, calling at Fremantle and three South African ports, under fixed conditions as to the discharge of cargo. What was a sked was that these vessels should be subI sidised to the extent of £750 per ship. That was to say, a service could have been obtained for £9000 a year. Mr Seddon was under the impression that the service could be got for a lower figure, and refused to entertain the ofter. The shipping companies decided to try and run the service | without the subsidy, and it was only when they had sent one or two vessels, and experienced the difficulty of operating without Government authority in the matter of discharge, that they discovered that a subsidy of £ 750 would have been completely inadequate. But with an earnest desire to meet tbe requirements of the oolony they decided, providing they oould get sufficient encouragement, io run a vessel every six weeks, but that was found impossible, So he felt quite satisfied from past experience that any attempt to work on the lines laid down by the Go- | vernment in its advertisement must i end in failure.. The only practicable plan was to ship the produce at regular intervals in the direct liners going to England. He was nob saying that the vessels would undertake

it, as London consignees generally objected to their produce going via the Cape, but if it could be arranged, the Government could be of enormous assistance in getting the difficulties of discharge removed, and a regular market could be obtained, greatly to the advantage of the producers here.