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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 9124, 4 August 1888, Page 4

Tee clouds seem to be thickening round our San Francisco service, for which for eighteen years Auckland has had a kind of personal affection. If retrenchment required the sacrifice, or it were economy at all, shame upon the Aucklander who would raise a linger for its preservation ; and the people who without a murmur have foregone their claims to the extension of the Trunk line of railway, while some other districts have been shamelessly clamouring for continued expenditure, would be prepared, we feel assured, to surrender their favourite service at the call of duty. As the only service in the Australasian colonies that has attained the position of being more than selfsupporting ; as a service that in rapid carrying as well as inexpensiveness presents a striking contrast to the service to which it is intended to be sacrificed, it should he defended to the last by all who are not under the influence of the unpatriotic seltishness of the dividendseeking shareholders of the New Zealand Snipping Company. But we are glad to see that Mr. Peacock and the others who are working with him in this cause, are determining that the colony itself shall not be sacrificed, and that if the San Francisco service is to be abolished in the name of economy, economy shall result, instead of a mere transfer of subsidy to the pockets of a commercial institution. Let subsidies be all abolished, let tenders be called, and let the cheapest service win. It is possible that a cheaper service may be obtained than that by San Francisco it is certain that one cheaper service may be obtained than that of the two lines together operating at the present time ; arid the odds are heavily against such a service being rendered by the Direct steamers. Next to the San Francisco Service, the services of the Peninsular and Oriental and the Orient lines, from Sydney and Melbourne, would give the most rapid transit at present available ; and if tenders are called, we shall probably be surprised at the offer of one or both of these, working in concert with the Union Steamship Company of New Zealand. With a reasonable inducement given to the Union Company to give prompt connection with Auckland and Wellington from Sydney, and with the Bluff from Melbourne, a very satisfactory service could be established fortnightly or weekly, as we pleased, and at a minimum of cost. A service that would totally surpass in rapidity

the utmost efforts of the steamers f * which the 'San Francisco service * threatened to be sacrificed. What h ** orable members have now mainly 0 ?' watch in the interests of the colony to see that no special fixed subsidy \ given to the Direct steamers, so SH ~. I s Scing the postal conveniences of tf' whole colony to the miserable objoc-t ; paying dividends to some shareholder If the matter is placed on a fair H '] equitable basis, we shall no long.',.**" the people of Auckland fined e do e postage, as they are now, for venturh! to send their letters via Sydj and Suez, in , order to fontheir letters into the mail - i o or| ■ of the direct steamers. Such a dition is indecent in itself and '■-t" insult to colonists, who are tints d';' U | tated to as to the route by which the-" must send their letters, with no hen.'t> to the State, and benefit only to tj|! ' company, who are paid by the weight |of mails. In the event, of the s".'' Francisco service being ended, let thl j fine of double postage against C Sydney-Suez route be done away viV ! and there will be little doubt as to t|' direction in which our letters will 'u addressed. This, or tenders for cheapest service should be insisted on in the spirit of simple fairness and in ri,,. interests of the colony ; and if the sharp, holders in the Assembly an; shainpln-'-. enough to take advantage of their position to wrong the State — f , V p u though they may not be precluded hv Standing Orders which are nut framed very particularly to guard the State from spoliation —then at all event., 1-V it be placed on record on the divisi o! i list who they are that seek to turtle bleed the State in the time of its weak- , ness to satisfy the cravings of persona l | greed. ______