OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9064, 26 May 1888, Page 1 (Supplement)

OUR AMERICAN LETTER.

[BY OUR SAN VKANCISCO CORRESPONDENT.] Sax Francisco, May 5. THE MAIL SERVICE. Probably the most important subject to New Zealanders is anything connected with your mail service. For months past there have been innumerable delays in the transmission of mails between New York and San Francisco. Although the post oilice and railroad authorities announced, some months ago, that the time occupied between New York and San Francisco would be but four days eighteen hours, yet the mails have not once been delivered in anything less than a few hours under six days. The time fiom San Francisco to Now York is much less ; but the postal authorities at Washington now acknowledge that the service from East to West is a six days' service, therefore all the former braying about accelerated speed was nothing but deception to gull the public. The result is, therefore, that your mails will never leave San Francisco before Saturday, instead of on; Thursday, unless an exceptionally good run is made by the steamer on the Atlantic. As your mails are conveyed there by the two slowest Cunarders, the Aurania and Servia, instead of by the two fastest, the Etruria and Umbria, a trip of eight days on the Atlantic may be looked for always instead of one of seven, or occasionally even of six days, by the faster steamers.

AGENT FOR NEW ZEALAND. Mr. R. J. Creighton, who was formerly a resident of Auckland, lias again returnee! to San Francisco, and is now connected with the Daily Examiner. Mr. Buokland, who was acting as New Zealand agent here during Mr. Creighfcon's absence at Honolulu, has resigned, and the duties of your Government are again in the hands of your former representative. The Post Office Department at Washington has declined to accede to the request, made by your Post Office Department, to permit your mails to be sent across the continent in one cur, or even to allow your mail agents to go in charge of them. They state that all mails being transferred across this country must be under the sole charge of United States officials. You will therefore continue to remain at the mercy of these gentlemen, and doubtless experience in the future, as in the past, unnecessary delays from side-tracking and other carelessness.

THE CANADIAN PACIFIC. The Canadian-Pacilie Company has just extended its business to San Francisco by its own line of steamers. The Parthia arrived here on April '20th from Hongkong, Yokohama, and Victoria, B.C. She had a thousand tons of freight and nearly a hundred and forty passengers for this port. She remained a week, and started on her return voyage, calling at the name ports. Captain Webber, formerly of the Zcalandia, who was then Superintendent of the Canadian Pacific Company's affairs at Victoria, came to San Francisco to complete his arrangemencs with the Messrs. Spreckels, who are the agents here for the new line. Since his return to Victoria Captain Webber has lost his position, but the reason for the change is not yet known. When in San Francisco he stated that the Canadian Pacific people had practically completed their arrangements fur an Australian mail service, from Victoria to Brisbane, via Fiji. He further remarked that the Union S.S. Company of New Zealand were being negotiated witli for the branch service from Fiji to Auckland, it being guaranteed to your Government that the mails should be landed in Auckland at the same hour as in Brisbane. "If New Zealand did not like a forked service," remarked Captain Webber, "then they could go without it, and they could not maintain tho San Francisco Service alone." lie intimated that the Union S.S.

Company was powerful enough to coerce the New Zealand Government into accepting the forked service to Fiji. Some of these statements may be only imaginary on the captain's part, but they are desirable for you to be acquainted with, as showing which Wiiy the wind blows. GLAUS SPRBCKBLS' ENTERPRISE. The name of Spreckcls is doubtless well known throughout New Zealand, owing to the fact that these gentlemen are the present contractors for your mail service. It may not, therefore, be uninteresting perhaps to make some mention of the present extension of their business at this end. Besides being now connected with the China and Japan trade, as agents for the Canadian-Pacific, they are just about to erect a mammoth sugar refinery in Philadelphia. There has recently been established in the Eastern States a sugar trust, which is a combination of refiners to depress the price of raw sugar while increasing the price of refined, thus amassing enormous profits. Mr. Clans Sprockets was asked to join this movement, but refused to do so. One of the conditions was that lie should close his refinery in San Francisco, thereby throwing some live hundred men oub of work, many of whom had worked faithfully for him for upwards of 20 years. ■ Upon this point he remained firm. The trust thereupon gathered into their fold the American Refinery, which is the only other one in San Francisco, thinking to crush the business of Mr. Spreckels and force him out of the field. But they little knew the man with whom they had to deal. He at once determined to wage war in the enemy's camp, and started East to look for the most suitable site. This he found in Philadelphia, where he has purchased nearly nine acres of land close to the terminus of the railroads, and having excellent wharfage and warehouse facilities. For this property be paid oOO.OOOdoIs. Although it is scarcely six weeks since he went to look for a site, ground has already been broken, and operations commenced for building. The re-

finery will consist of five buildings, each ten stories in height. Its cost when completed, including the price paid for land, will be 5,000,000d015., or £1,000,000 sterling. Its output" will be 7000 barrels of sugar daily, and, if necessary, this capacity can be increased aba comparatively trifling cost. He claims that he can place his sugar at a profit just where the trust can, and where they may decide to sell at a loss he will decline to sell at all. This may be considered a gigantic enterprise, bub it is worthy of the man, who, although sixty years of age, is as keen, active, and vigorous as a boy; and has a business perception and aptitude that is probably not excelled in the world. One would think that such an undertaking woul4 b 0 enough to have on one's hands at one time. But he has just hurried back to San Francisco to lay the cornerstone of his first beet sugar factory. This will be in operation in September, and the Philadelphia refinery within a year. He imported 25 tons of beet seed from Germany, and this has been planted on 2500 acres of land at Wafcsonville, where the factory is erected, besides over a thousand samples having been given away to farmers elsewhere for testing the soil and quality of" beets that can bo grown in other secThe whole of the machinery has been imported from Germany, and he has secured the right for all the United States of patents, appliances, and methods of manufacture. By the end of next year, if the first factory prove a success, he will probably have ten or a dozen more in operation throughout California. Although he once spoke about going to New Zealand to introduce beet-.sugar culture there, and questioned the writer very closely as to your soil and climate, it is hardly to be expected that he can devote his time and money, at present, to other enterprises outside of the United States.

THE ZEALANDIA. Captain Van Oterendorp, of the R.M. s.s. Zoalandia, was presented witli a handsome gold watch, after his arrival in port, by the passengers who came up with him on his last trip from the colonies. They all spoke in the highest terms of his treatment and courtesy, and bestowed general praise upon all the oflicers, the provisioning of the vessel, and the many amusements and entertainments that were provided for them. THE ESTATE OF MR. BISHOP. The case of George Wesley Bishop, who was shot here by a woman named Mary Von (now undergoing a sentence of ten years for the homicide), has again been revived. The widow, Faith Bishop, of Auckland, has asked the Courts that the entire estate, valued at 1500 dollars, may be distributed to her for the support of herself, as the widow, and her three children, aged 19, 17, and 15. This case lias been considered a most remarkable one in San Francisco, as it is exceedingly difficult to convict a man of murder, and a woman jnvariably escapes justice. Her conviction was thought more remarkable because Bishop was a stranger in San Francisco, and lie having no friends, public opinion decided that she would be acquitted. Fortunately the uncertainty of the law was in this case, not maintained. There arc plenty of murderers who have been waiting for trial for years, and seem likely to die there of old aye, yet Mary Von was made a horrible example to the others, and her case, from some inexplicable cause, was rail-roadecl through the Courts. Perhaps she had not money or friends enough to procure the customary continuances.

SHIPWRECKS. Shipwrecks have been by far too numerous within the past few weeks. First came the San Pablo, a line steamer running in the China and Japan trade, which was run ashore and totally lost between Yokohama and Hongkong. No particulars have yet been received of the disaster, but the opinion seems to be that due care in navigating the steamer cannot have been exercised. Next came the brig J. D. Spreckels, which had just arrived, after a quick run from the Hawaiian Islands. She entered the Golden (iate with a ten-knot breeze, when the wind suddenly dropped, not a breath of air stirring. She was caught by the strong rip tide that rushes through the heads, whirled round and round in a helpless condition, and finally dashed on to a rock. The steamer Queen of the Pacific was coming into port, and towed her off with rive feet of water in the hold, and a good deal of her cargo of sugar damaged. Next came an accident to the steamer Queen of the Pacific on her outward voyage, after assisting the J. I). Spreckels. She runs down the coast to San Diego, calling at several ports on the way. After leaving Port Harford she was found to be leaking, and the captain put on all steam, turning her back to Port Harford. She just entered the harbour and sank, the engineers and firemen working almost up to their necks in water till the fires were extinguished. She has been raised, and will be in San Francisco within a day or two. The cause of this accident was due to the opening of a sidelight in the hold which had been insecurely fastened. It is strange, however, that certain mind readers and "slatewriters " in San Francisco had predicted that some accident would happen, and warned people against travelling by her on that trip. It is thought that, in order to establish a succesful reputation, the "slatewriters " may have hired somebody to commit the diabolical crime of unfastening the port and thereby trying to sink the steamer.

A BIG FIRE. A disastrous lire occurred at the celebrated stock stables of Senator Stanford, at Palo Alto, whereby valuable trotting stock and 22 stalls of the stables, worth 100,000 dollars, were totally destroyed. The agony of the burning and maddened horses was fearful. BISHOP SUTER.

Bishop Suter, of Nelson, while in San Francisco, visited a number of the public schools, and was subsequently introduced to the members of the Board of Education at one of their regular meetings. His lordship spoke very highly of the educational system in vogue and the advantages offered to young people for acquiring a good education.

POLITICS. Matters are beginning to look lively in the political arena, both Republicans and Democrats preparing for a bitter struggle in November, when the people will decide whether the Democrats are to remain longer in power, or whether the Republicans are to have another innings. The contost will be exceedingly keen. The Democrats have lost many adherents by their new Tariff Bill, which is now before Congress. The opening debate was commenced on April 17th, by Representative Mills, of Texas. Speaking upon the present tax on wool, he argued that the public were injured thereby, while nobody was benefited. Ho further said : "High duties prohibited and limited importations and exportation;;. We were feeding the people of Europe, and when we put high duties on the goods they sent us in exchange for food it amounted to taxing our own agricultural exports. The reduction of duties would not, as asserted, check manufacturers and cramp labour. We always imported more goods when prices were high. Under lower duties we could export more goods, the manufactories would run steadily, and labour would be constantly employed." " Not more than 10 per cent of the goods consumed in the United States would be imported if all the custom-houses were abolished and the Government supported by direct taxes. The protectionists argue that the reason why manufactured articles are cheaper here than in any other country is the result of protection. It was not so. But supposing that it was, why then should they resist so strenuously any effort to lower the duties if they were able to undersell European manufacturers ? Did manufacturers pay higher wages because protection enabled them to do it? No." This debate will not be concluded till early in June, and, although some Democratic representatives are called upon by their electors to oppose the Bill, or certain portions thereof, it is probable that when the vote is taken in the House, party lines will be strictly adhered to. If such be the case, the Democrats will have a small majority in the House.