THE 'FRISCO MAIL SERVICE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 11199, 20 October 1899, Page 4

THE 'FRISCO MAIL SERVICE.

Ii is of the utmost importance that the Auckland members and public bodies in this city should keep a watchful eye upon the machinations and intrigues that are being carried on in connection with the renewal of the San Francisco mail contract. It is evident there is a design to prevent the service from being placed upon the improved footing proposed by Mr. Spreckels. We are at a loss to conceive of'any adequate motive for such a manoeuvre other . than the latent hostility to the service which is entertained in some of the

J Southern parts of the colony, be- ' cause Auckland enjoys the privilege ! of being the only port of call, and I the desire naturally springing from ! this feeling to resist any attempt to ' increase its efficiency, popularity, 'and permanency. On no other i hypothesis can we account for the ! motion of which Mr. Wason has given ! notice. When the Premier brings ; lip hi?, proposals for renewing the mail contract for another year, the member for Selwyn intends to move that the service be confined to British-registered vessels. The suggestion made at the meeting of Auckland members last night, that an effort should be made to continue the Union Company on the footing of owning one of the boats, is reasonable and worthy of every consideration. But while all will agree that, if the difficulty of the American subsidy can be got over, the Union Company should be granted a full opportunity of coming into line with the offer made from America, it need scarcely be pointed out that were such a condition as that proposed by Mr. Wason agreed to, it would derrive us of the vastly improved class of vessels which Mr. Sprec.ce.s intends to substitute for the present inferior boats that are now em ployed. He is having three steamers built of 6000 tons each, the first of which will be ready by the middle of June next, and the others by October. These vessels will give us a2l days' service between Auckland and San- Francisco, thus increasing the frequency of communication between the colony and America,_ and greatly reducing the time occupied in carrying tlie mails. By this improved service the mails from London will be delivered in 26 days seven hours, and those from New Zealand to London in Ti\ days. Were the terms upon which he is prepared to carry out a contract of this kind, agreed toft five years' subsidy of £30,000 annually, including New South Wales proportion—the service could be inaugurated by the end of next year. The proposal, however, is contingent upon only American vessels being employed in the service, so as to o'. tain a subsidy from the United States Government, which,' by the postal laws of the country, can only be paid to American-owned vessels. It cannot be doubted that such a service would prove of great advantage to New Zealand, and promote a large tourist traffic from America. At present wealthy Americans accustomed to the magnificent Atlantic liners will not travel by the comparatively slow and out of dab i steamers which are employed in the San Francisco service, but with faster and better-equipped boats there is good reason for believing that they would visit these colonies ip large numbers. It would be unnecessary to emphasise the importance of cultivating the tourist traffic and striving to swell the stream towards our own shores, were it not apt to be overlooked, much to the amazement of all vis'tors acquainted with the enormous advantages derived from it by other countries whose scenic and other natural attractions fall far short of those with which New Zealand has been so lavishly endowed. But, unfortunately, whenever any attempt is made in the direction of reform, no matter in what quarter, vested interests or provincial jealousies are ever ready to resist all change. And now, at the very moment when there is a prospect of the San Francisco mail service being vastly improved, with corresponding advantages to the whole colony, both as regards the carriage of mails and the influx of tourists, we find a Southern member coming forward with a proposal which is calculated to completely destroy that prospect, and leave the service in its present unsatisfactory condition. We do not believe there is any chance of Mr. Wason's motion being agreed to, but at the same time it behoves the Auckland members and all who have the true interests of the service at heart, to keep a careful watch upon the veiled attacks of its opponents.