AN INTERVIEW WITH MR LAWRY.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8074, 9 January 1888, Page 3

AN INTERVIEW WITH MR LAWRY.

IHE SAN FRANCISCO MAIL SERVICE,

THE WOOL TARIFF

.jFuoii Ova Own Cobkespondent.) Auckland, January 7. The New Zftsland Loan aud Mercantile Agency Company have closed their agency at San Francisco, and withdrawn the officer in charge (Mr W. F. Lawry). He was a passenger by the R.M.S. Alameda from San Francisco yesterday, aud will' assume the duties of assistant inspector in the company's service in New Zealand. On beine interviewed by n Herald reporter in reference to matters connected with the San Francisco mail service, he stated that tho latest promised arrangements for further acceleratine the passage of the mails across the American continent had not htxm made public when he lett ban Francisco. It was understood that the idea was to convey the mails pu an express train, thus reducing the overland tmie to four and a-half days. Mr Lawry docs uot thini* the forked service at Fiji will be acceptable to Aew Zealand, as carrying the passenger traffic past her door to Australia; bnt if syifcient inducement is offered Mr Spreckles is prepared to build another large steamer for the lino, aud -cutting Honolulu out of the route, to send the .New Zealand mails te San Diego in 1« d&vs. They would be telien by the Atchinson-Topeka route to New York in fonr and a-half days, thence oy the fast Atlanticsteamerg, landing the mails in London under 23 days. This would not interfere wjth „he passengers seeing San Francisco, as fche Bteamer after landing the moils would proceed on to that port. Mr Lawry considers that ifc would greatly facilitate the despatch of the mails either way if the New Zealand Government bad a special mail van constructed for the reception of tho mails and tho mail a-ent accompanying them from 'Frisco to New ifork and received the English mails there for transTJZ° ni v? rl sc?\ Th- e vmi as 600Q as Iwded cases such an arrangement, especially if the Mails were brought off* by tho tug, would save 20 or 25 hours. The Congress will meet in March, when the question of subsidies to foreign sail-lines will come up for discussion. After that date Jlr SprecMes will he better able to judge the situation and to enter iuto negotiations for the prolonging of the service. He may be expected to visit New Zealand about June. With regard to the reduction of the duty on wool, Mr Lawry says a probable rcduofcion will be made at least in some of the finer grades Tbe American manufacturers have notified the woolgrowers tbey will be able to lay up a large quantity of local wool if Australian wools are admitted tree for mixing purposes. The tariff question is looked upou as the question of the i:Tev eJxzVatit° great "OWi-"-'-