THE RIVAL MAIL SERVICES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume L, Issue 5459, 21 August 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE RIVAL MAIL SERVICES.

TO TUB EDITOR OF TUB LYTTELTON TIMES. Sin, —The annual report of tho Post Office, quoted at page 5 of your Saturday’s issue, in comparing the times of the San Francisco and Suer mail routes, arrives at the astounding conclusion that, “by the former, mails have been delivered in Wellington in 42 days, by the latter in the shorter time of 37 days.” If, in general, comparisons are “odorous,” this one must bo particularly and most offensively so, to tho San Francisco mail contractors.

Our Honorable John Fisher’s naval experience has not saved him from being eaught asleep on his watoh when the Secretary for the Post Office put the annual report before him to sign containing a statement so absurd. Why, sir, there is no comparison whatever between the despatch of the San Francisco and the delays or tho Sues mail services. Not only is the latter tho slowest on the outward, but it is slower still on the homeward route. Here arc Ike facts. The San Francisco mails for seven mouths of 1878 ha re reached Lyttelton in 44, 48, 44, 41, 44, 4b, 17 dars, while tho Brindisi-Sucz mails have required 54.47, 47, 48, 47, 48, 47 days. On the homeward route they are slower still, and have taken 30, 32, even 55 days. As Wellington is nearer for the San Francisco and further for the Suez delivery by one day, tho comparison set up by farmer John, when duly rectified, is still more in favour of the Pacific and transAmerican route. Now, the contract time for the Brindisi-Sucz mail to reach Melbourne is 46 days. Latterly it has arrived from five to eight days in advance. Allowing eight days off, we still have 38 days as the time absolutely required viil Brindisi to Melbourne. How, then, is it possible that the whole distance to Wellington has been done “ in tho shorter time of 37 days ?” Supposing it liad once been done in this incredible “ shorter time ’’—well, “ one swallow does not make it summer.”

.The Postmaster-General's own published contract time-tables giro 45 days for the outward San Francisco and 55 for the BrindisiSuez mails. The former has generally reached Auckland one or two days, the latter has reached Lyttelton seven or eight days before due date, and this, or possibly 10 days, seems to be its greatest possible effort to bo in advance. It is only since the CnzcO, Lusitania, and other “ Orient lino ” steamers hove been running out to Melbourne in 40 days that the E. and O. Company’s subsidised boats have been made to shorten their time by six or eight days. It should be observed, too, that prompt delivery at Wellington or Lyttelton of the San Francisco mail depends entirely on the route the New Zealand coastal steamer takes. Latterly, viil West Coast ports, delivery here has been effected in two days 20 hours frem time of leaving Onehunga, while via East Coast, Tauranga, Poverty Bay, and Napier, the time is four days or more. Any delay, then, in delivering the San Francisco mails at southern ports is due to the slack contract for coastal delivery entered into by the Postmaster-General. It is “rather rough ” on the San Francisco line to use this to its disadvantage in attempting to bolster up the Suez line. One can only think that the sweet influence of M'Meckan and Blackwood, with visions of double subsidies, have been infused into the Honorable John’s dreams when asleep on his watch, or else that the great • “ Mac ” of Dunedin has been calculatingly dozing his colleague, having “ ulterior views,” viz., of aggrandising his favourite Dunedin into being made the terminus for only one line of ocean mails, by “ squelching ” the Pacific Royal Mail Company as soon as occasion offers.— I am, &c., , ' SMELL A RAT.