THE SYDNEY MAILS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14707, 15 June 1911, Page 9

THE SYDNEY MAILS.

CLAIMS OF NEW PLYMOUTH.

Commenting upon the resolution of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce regarding the Sydney mail service, the Taranaki Daily News remarks : —We believe the whole of the trouble win be got over by making New Plymouth the first port of call. As everyone knows, New Plymouth is the nearest port in New Zealand to Australia, with an absolutely direct ocean course; it presents no navigation problems ; it has, or will have very shortly, accommodation for the largest boats that come to the Dominion ; the port is as safe as tho safest in the colonies. With these advantages it should be the first and last port of call for Sydney boats; at anyrate, of Sydney-Wellington boats. The present boats could do the journey in three days. A boat leaving Sydney at, say, four o'clock on Saturday, would arrive in New Plymouth on Tuesday evening. An express train could be despatched south with tho mail aboard an hour after the vessel arrived. The mails would be in the hands of the people between here and Wellington next morning, and in those of the northern community by the afternoon, whilst in the South the people would get tho mail on Thursday. This would effect the saving of a clear day so far as the North Island is concerned. There would bo no irritating delays, as are now experienced by the business communities of Wellington and Auckland, because the train (which need only consist of an engine, tender, and mail van) could be despatched immediately after the arrival of the boat. The scheme is entirely practicable, and, so far as the Sydney-Wellington service is concerned, could be put. in force almost immediately, to the advantage of the whole commercial interests of New Zealand."