THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1891.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 8483, 6 February 1891, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1891.

It will be seen that the date of despatch of the San Francisco mail has been altered, back to the old day,the23rd, The proposed acceleration of the mail by three days coming and going will not, therefore, take place- at present. The order countermanding the change emanates from the Government, and it is supposed the reason is, that they desire to effect some change in the days -of sailing of the direct steamers. We presume that the Government was communicated with before the dates of I the sailing of the vessels were announced, and they ought at once to have entered into the business. But in any case the alteration should be made as soon as it can be brought into action. The changes might have been effected in the sailings of the direct boats as soon as they could be brought about, and although there might have been for a few weeks some clashing, it would have mattered little, and an adjustment would have been effected without much delay. But, indeed, the disparity in the time occupied by the San Francisco mail and the direct mail is so great, that we do not see that any change in the latter could be made to advantage. No alteration can make the direct boats halve the time with the San Francisco mail for any part of New Zealand. We hope that there is nothing more in this stoppage of the announced arrangements than an endeavour at adjustment. The present Government are suspected of lukewarmness to the San Francisco mail, and the present Postmaster-General, Mr. Ward, has made opposition to the service the object of his Parliamentary life. But, surely, no Ministry would be so mad as .to throw obstacles in the way when a mail service could be accelerated by three days outwards and inwards for £he whole of New Zealand. Future developments will be closely watched.