A NEW POSTAL ARRANGEMENT.

New Zealander, Volume XVIII, Issue 1672, 26 April 1862, Page 5

A NEW POSTAL ARRANGEMENT.

To the Honorable the Postjiasteu-Genep 4.1, Auckland. Sir, —I lately addressed a short outline, respecting a new postal arrangement, to you, knowing that you were engaged in the consideration of that subject. _ I now venture to be more explicit on the subject, and to offer more specific data for your consideration. It is quite evident that both in Australia and New Zealand, other means and facilities of communication with the home Government and parent State than at present exist is urgently called for: the problem, therefore, is, What arrangement is most calculated to afford the widest and most beneficial results? In the first place, I think the Australian group of colonies are fully capable of maintaining an independent line of steam postal service; and I will proceed, secondly, to show why I consider a direct passage round the Cape of Good Hope far preferable to any other route. It is abundantly evident that any overland route can only bo of service to these colonies in the transmission of mails, passengers in a very limited ratio, and very valuable or very light goods. Then, as to whether an overland communication by the Suez line or the Panama line is preferable, I will not stay to discuss, because I feel strongly that each, or either, is far behind the Cape route in every point of view. _ The existing arrangements prove that sixty _ days is the average time occupied in the transmission of mails from England to New Zealtmd; that the Suez route entails an expenditure of £2OO each passenger. That only such goods as are very light or very valuable, can remunerate the very high rate of charge by this route, and consequently general cargo, emigrants and persons who cannot afford to lay out a large sum in passage money, are all entirely excluded. Some people are inclined to argue that tbe Panama route would be a great improvement over the Suez route; be that as it may, it ean never compete with the _ direct Cape route, because of the necessity of transhipment at the Isthmus of Panama, and although New Zealand might be the gainer in point of time by the Panama route, and Sydney and the east coast of Australia remain statu quo, Melbourne and the western parts of Australia and Tasmania would be damaged in point of timo.

The position I take up and hope to make manifest, is that the route by the Cape of Good Hope is the most speedy as regards postal communications. The cheapest and by far the most comfortable to all classes of passengers, emigrants inclusive, together with general cargo likewise. I contend that a vessel built with all the latest appliances as to type of hull, and improvement in boilers and machinery, would make the passage round the Cape of Good Hope to Melbourne in thirty days, and on to New Zealand in five more, or thirty-five days, inclusive of stoppage at Melbourne. I set out with the preface that there is no vessel at present built capable of performing this service, and consequently that it would be indispensable that proper vessels should be built. It is essential that she should be capable of carrying fuel sufficient for the voyage out and home, consequently must be of large capacity. 1 hold that the Great Eastern is too deep in the water and too high out of it. Looking to the other proportions of that vessel and her other arrangements, her depth may not be too great, but as the details lam about to set forth as to the character of vessel I consider best adapted to the required service will show why and wherefore a_ more shallow vessel i 9 more proper. The dimensions I should prefer are 1000 feet in length by 100 feet in width, with a draught of water not exceeding fifteen feet at her deepest load water-line. It is evident these proportions are not suited to a sailing vessel ; I will therefore say I contemplate the innovation of doing away with masts and sails wholly and entirely, and to substitute at least eight propelling powers or engines, so that it would be scarcely reasonable to expect that she' would be left a hopeless cripple in case of a break down; iHer height out of the water should never exceed twenty feet, and the entire form of the hull should be in strict accordance with those rules whereby she would attain the maximum of floatation or buoyancy with a midship section offering the least resistance to a high rate of speed. I think such a vessel as I have specified would carry the required quantity of fuel, and four thousand tons of cargo, 1000 first class passengers, and 2000 second class, and make three voyages out and home each way per annum. As to profit and loss account, say 4000 tons of cargo at £4, £16,000; 1000 first class passengers at £7O, £70,000. Two thousand second class at £\ 5, £30,000, together £116,000; and on the return voyage, say £65,000 altogether, or £IBI,OOO per trip out and home, which multiplied by three, gives £543,000 as one year's earnings! and this wholly irrespective of mail service or subsidy. 1 will now introduce a second innovation arising out of the first, and one of which I consider of much importance. Having got rid of masts and sails, I would steer a course just the reverse of that now pursued, and after leaving the English Channel, run down the coast of Portugal, eastward of Maderia and Teneriffe, along the coast of Africa, and so round the Cape of Good Hope; by this means you would save mileage, and run down in the region of calms with much advantage. Connected with this route, I beg to suggest that the railway system is makiDg great progress in Spain, and that as soon as it is possible to complete the various lines now in great part executed, there will be an uninterrupted communication from Calais or Bolougne, via Bayonne, through Madrid to Cadiz, it, therefore, would be advisable to call at Cadiz for the same reasons that the steamers now call at Marseilles. If these data arc correct, and I maintain they are so in each and every particular, I think the question is solved as to which route is preferable. I will now only recapitulate, that, by the direct Cape route, there would be a great saving in time, a great decrease in cost of transit, and very great increase as regards comfort; and moreover, by this route, cargo and emigrants could be conveniently transported, which ever must bo denied by any overland route. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, W. Long Weet, Mineral Surveyor. Nelson, April 10, 1862.