Untitled

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 7919, 11 April 1887, Page 4

It iB clear that the Canadiana do not mean to sleep over the advantages which the completion of their overland railway has made possble for them. The Pacific Ocean now opens up for them vast scope for shipping and commercial enterprise, and they do not mean to lose any time in availing themselves of its facilities. While the old established steam companies of the United Kingdom are endeavouring to exact favourable terms for the conveyance of the Australian mails, the Canadian and Pacific Company, only recently floated, offer the Postal Conference a fortnightly service of 34i days between England and Brisbane, via Vancouver, Honolulu, and Fiji, for a subsidy under £80,000 per annum. This is more than .£SOOO less than the other companies are willing to undertake the service for, besides being free from stipulations insisted on by them, such as a contract for eight years, and exemption from light dues and harbour charges. No more striking evidence of the enterprising spirit of thr colonies could be wished for, and it Bhows that Canada is prepared to follow the example furnished by the Union Company and the Direct Steam Companies of New Zealand. The probabilities are that the offer of this company will be accepted ; but, even if it should not be, the projected line of steamers between Canada and the Australasian colonies is sure to be successfully established. Steamers suitable for this service, as well as for the traffic already opened up with China and Japan, are being built, and will soon be placed in the running. One effect of this enterprise will be that the trade which now is carried on between the United States and these colonies will soon, to a large extent, find its -way to Canada, whose more liberal policy, in respect of steam and mail subsidies as well as tariff, contrasts -very favourably with the narrow and one-sided policy pursued by the United States Government. The Washington authorities had their opportunity, but did not apparently know how to avail themselves of it, and now it is about to pass into other and more deserving hands.