THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam."

Otago Daily Times, Issue 32, 21 December 1861, Page 4

THE Otago Daily Times. "Inveniam viam out Faciam."

Mail communication between England and New Zealand, is signally unsatisfactory. The service between Melbourne and Suez is liable to so many interruptions and irregularities, that constant delays take place in the arrival of the mail at the latter place. Then the communication between Otago and Melbourne is somewhat uncertain, and subject to many disturbing influences. Sometimes Otago is two months behind Melbourne in its course of post to and from the mother countr} r, and is always one month behind. The same remarks apply yet more strongly to the Northern ports of New Zealand, which are further removed from Melbourne ; and they have an equally relevant application to New South Wales and Queensland, which are constantly exposed to galling annoyances, owing to the postal arrangements being made subsidiary to the convenience of Melbourne commerce. Victoria,* or rather Melbourne —for Melbourne is "Victoria—pursues its self-appointed course without troubling itself much about the opinion of its neighbours. It assumes to be the Queen of the southern waters, and, to do it justice, is not at all remiss in carrying out its royal pretensions. Even South Aus tralia, its immediate neighbour, is compelled to go to an immense 1 annual expense to enable it to avail itself of the mail communication. If Melbourne or Victoria choose to isolate itself in this way, quite regardless of the convenience of its neighbours, it will have itself to blame if these unite amongst themselves, and obtain more equitable and rapid mail corn mv ideation.

The route by Panama possesses obvious advantages over that by Suez, at least, as ar as New South Wales and Kew Zealand are concerned; Why should not these places unite together to establish it. It is shorter, less exposed to uncertainties, and more to be relied on. We have in our possession data which speak for themselves.- An immense saving in time may be effected, and after a few years'the subsidy required would be less. Of the collateral advantages, such as more frequent and direct communication with the mother country, and the establishing relations with the States on the Western coast of North and South America, it is impossible to lay too strong a stress.

We have before us a map, published hy E. Stanford, Charing Cross, showing the line of all the routes to and from New Zealand, and contrasting especially the two routes., via Suez and Panama. The distance table appended speaks for itself; we give it in its entirety : —

Milford Haven to Colon, calling' at the Azores : 4,300 miles. Colon to Panama (Railway) 40 ~ Panama to Nstv Zealand, 'coarmo- at the Gamblers T 5/S2O Er.tiro (Iwtav.co 8/300 Practicable voyage, 40 days; Saving1 of distance via Panama line .... 3,000 miles. Saving of time '20 days. These calculations are evidently made from reliable data. The forty clays is evidently based on the ordinary stipulated mail rate, ten knots an hour, with an allowance of four days tor contingencies an:] delay. Syuiiev

would be brought within forty-five days of England, and the service could be performed with a regularity that never can be hoped for by the Suez route. Already there are steamers for nearly-half the distance. The West Indian'Mail'liiine oi Steamers —than which finer, faster, or better, appointed could not be found—run between iinglaud and the east side of the Isthmus, and could be employed for conveying the mails as far as Panama. JNio doubt the English government would arrange for subsidising them ; indeed we doubt if under the existing contract any extra subsidy would be required. The Colonies would have to subsidise the steamers between Panama and New Zealand.

Three steamers Avould suffice for the purpose. Without entering into details, which however we may state we have before us, in the shape of calculations carefully compiled when on a former occasion the subject Was agitated, we believe £70,000 to £100,000 would cover the cost of three suitable vessels, including hulks ibr coals, and other requirements. The total working expenses including stores, insurance, furniture and allowances for depreciation and contingencies would amount in round unmbers to about £80,000. Add two per cent interest on the outlay, to the 80,000, and we have £87,000 per annum as total cost of starting the line, together with interest, and allowance for depreciation. To make up this amount, and to leave extra profit, there are the subsidy for conveying the mails, the freight for conveyance of bullion specie and parcels, and the profit on passenger traine. In reference to the first, we believe we are correct in stating that the New South Wales House of Assembly offered last year a subsidy of £75,0*00 a-year to any company that would start a line to Panama. -New Zealand would assuredly not grudge £40,000 per annum. From Queensland and Tasmania another £40,000 would be forthcoming. Here alone would be nearly double the whole yearly cost. The freight, for bullion and specie would amount to a formidable sum. To the three months ending December Ist, about £600,000 worth of gold was exported from Otago. With a direct mail service, the gold would after a while go direct to England; and setting down freight at 1 per cent, only, we have for the three months £6,000, or £24,000 per annum. Then there is the produce of thei New South Wales fields. Indeed it may safely be set down that the item of freight on bullion would leave immense profits yearly. The passenger traffic would also be very profitable. It would become the favourite route for passengers ; the expense by Suez is enormous, and there is besides the inconvenience of traversing the desert to endure. We shall return to the subject again : meanwhile, we hope we have at least said enough to draw attention to it.

Phesent Mail Route to I\ tew Zealand Southampton to Suez 3,100 miles. Suez to Aden 1/300 ,, Adento Galle. 2,200 ,', Point do Gillie to Melbourne .. 5,000 Melbourne to New Zaalaud 1,400 „ Entire distance 13,000 ,- „ Present passage, 00 to 70 days. Proposed Panaivia Route to New Zealand.