THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1908. THE LONDON MAILS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13939, 22 December 1908, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1908. THE LONDON MAILS.

The distinctly unsatisfactory condition of the mail services to London cannot possibly be remedied by academic discussions. Before the San Francisco fire there were numerous complaints at the occasional shortcomings of the 'Frisco mail, but since the cessation of that service the public has had unlimited cause to realise how immensely superior it was to any other available route. Sir Joseph Ward has received advice from America that an effort will be made to re-estab-lish the 'Frisco-Auckland connection; it is to the every interest of New Zealand that our Government should give the movement every possible encouragement. For however much we may sympathise with our Prime Minister's avowed preference for an All-Red route, that route io manifestly to be judged by its comparative merits and should only be preferred if it offers much the same advantage as the American. The Suez route, for instance, is not even nominally an All-Red route, for its mails are carried overland across European countries far more alien to us than is the English-speaking United States. Not only this, but it is an iutolerably long route, and the delays during transhipment in Australia make it even worse than it .might be, and at the best it must always be unsatisfactory. The Vancouver route, which we make some use of by way of Fiji, is hardly less unsatisfactory; and though it is called All-Red," the mails +hus sent cross over into the United States to reach the fast liners at New York. To make the Vancouver route in any way a convenient one, Brisbane would have to be dropped as a port of call and Auckland substituted, for the Fiji connection is too antiquated and too cumbersome to bear consideration. Yet this 's exactly the change which cannot be arranged with the Australian authorities, and as long as the existing Federal mail contracts continue we must regard it as quite out of the question. As for the improved " All-

Red " service, by which it was, proposed to form great Appian Ways between [London and the Pacific coasts of the Empire, this still remains nebulous in the extreme. New Zealand's tentative " offer of £100,000 yearly . does not appear to have had any effective influence upon the other colonies, whose cooperation is required to make this scheme a success. They all appear to- regard it; as a very fine dream and to be quite satisfied meanwhile to pursue their present courses. Australia is pledged to the Suez route, which necessarily suits her very much better than it does New Zealand. Canada is sufficiently near to London whatever happens. The huge profits of the Imperial Post Office are too much needed by British chancellors, in these days of old age pensions and Dreadnoughtbuilding, to leave much encouragement for Appian Ways. We are being thrown back, therefore, upon the old 'Frisco connection, which is not only a possible and a practicable one, but has every conceivable advantage excepting that it is not "All-Red."

The. American Congress is not thinking of admitting manufactured goods free of duty into the United States, but there is a rapidly-grow-ing public opinion and a very influential Congressional movement for the placing of many raw materials upon the free list. Hides, wool, and meat, are among the articles thus discussed, and these are among the chief exports of New Zealand and Australia. There are a number of other articles which are necessarily and naturally articles of trade, in this age of refrigeration, between countries having opposing seasons. In any case, an English speaking country of 80,000,000 people and English-speaking countries of 5,000,000 people are bound to have mutually profitable trade connections if opportunity offers. " Preferential trade" does not aim at destroying commerce between the British Empire and the outer world, but at retaining within the Empire that commerce which has comparatively small inducements to go outside. It is, therefore, quite logical and intelligible that we should assist to maintain steamer connection with countries outside . the Empire, and should foster trade with them upon reciprocal lines. Every protected country in the world pursues this course, and what the world at large finds generally advantageous is a sufficiently good policy for our Dominion statesmen. . The United States Government, pursuing the same policy, and studying the inseparable national considerations of trade,' mails, and passenger transportation, is endeavouring to establish great steamer ~ lines, upon, .the Pacific. Recent years have witnessed a great broadening in the views of Washington legislators, and there is every leason to think that a favourable view would be taken at the White House of representations from New Zealand regarding a joint mail. steamer arrangement. In any case, our Dominion • Government ought to be prepared to pay a reasonable subsidy if by so doing they can assist the resumption of a 'Frisco service, by large modern steamers, carrying mails in fast time upon the shortest Pacific route, affording comfortable accommodation for tourists and travellers, providing refrigerator space for perishable goods, and making direct connection between Auckland and San Francisco. The Australian connection for the Suez route, the Fiji connection for the Vancouver route, and the Tahiti connection for the 'Frisco route, all cost,us far more than they are worth. They are all slow mail services, and discourage travel. A direct 'Frisco connection would encourage travel as nothing else could do, would get our mails to London many days faster than at present, and would encourage a profitable trade with the United States. These advantages ought to outweigh with Sir Joseph Ward that barren sentiment for an All-Red route for which only New Zealand seems prepared to make any sacrifice, and which h&3 only left us side-tracked, far away from every oceanic mail service worthy the name.