VANCOUVER MAIL BOATS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14486, 28 September 1910, Page 7

VANCOUVER MAIL BOATS.

TO CALL AT NEW ZEALAND.

DECISION OF THE CANADIAN

GOVERNMENT.

[BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.!

Wellington, Tuesday. Ax important statement in reference to the improvement of the mail services of the Dominion was made in the House today by the Postmaster-General (Sir Joseph Ward). Sir Joseph read the following cable, which he had received from Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Prime Minister of Canada : — " In reference to your letters of the 16th and 20th, we are to-day informing the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia that we forthwith notify the contractors that they have the permission of the Government of Canada to make a call each way at New Zealand, under the (..Id (existing) contract. 1 am expressing the hope that Australia will concur, and also informing Australia that in any case Canada is obliged to stipulate that from August next New Zealand must be a port of call." Mr. Masscv : Do you know whether the Commonwealth Government will concur with the suggestion just put forward? A Member : It does not matter. Sir Joseph Ward said that he was unable to say anything about the intentions of the Commonwealth. Canada and New Zealand were agreed on the point, and he thought that the friendly feeling which existed between New Zealand and Australia would lead to a satisfactory arrangement. Mr. Masscy : Have you had any communication on the point from Australia? Sir Joseph Ward said that there had been no communication which he could make public. There had, however, been a number of communications, with a view to getting a suitable service. He was hopeful that the cbstacles would be overcome. A suitable service was in the greatest interests, not only of the colonies, but also of the Empire. HONOLULU A PORT OF CALL. The conditions under which tenders for the renewal of the Vancouver mail service have been called by the Canadian Government stipulate that in each of the alternative routes Honolulu shall be a pert of call both ways. The chairman of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce (Mr. J. H. Gunson) etated to a reporter last night that this was a very satisfactory feature of the proposals in view of the importance of Honolulu as a port of call especially from the tourist, point of view.

In regard to the announcement made by the Prime Minister to the House yesterday, Mr. Gunson said : "My Chamber is pleased that Sir Joseph Ward has made this announcement, and I hope that he will continue to take the House into his confidence." OUR ONLY PROSPECT. MR. MASSEY'S VIEW. [by telegraph.own correspondent. Wellington, Tuesday. "I am very pleased to see that the proposals with regard to the steamers belonging to the Australian-Vancouver service calling at. New Zealand are taking shape." said Mr. Massev when interviewed, "and that there is a probability of. a satisfactory arrangement being made, if not in the immediate future, then in less than 12 months from now. I think people generally realise now that the new service between New Zealand and San Francisco will be of very little use for mail carrying purposes, and that our only prospect at present of improving on the Suez route is by way of Vancouver. I trust that the Australian Government will see its way to fall in with the Canadian suggestion and the desires of this country so that we may have the British dominions in the Pacific connected with a line of fast mail and passenger steamers sailing under our own flag."