SAN FRANCISCO MAIL ROUTE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11923, 22 December 1900, Page 4

SAN FRANCISCO MAIL ROUTE.

THREE-WEEKLY SERVICE INAUGURATED.

UP-TO-DATE VESSELS.

(From Our. Owx Correspondent.)

LONDON, November 10.

Though, as I informed you last week, the Imperial postal authorities had signified assent to the change in the San Francisco mail service, making it a three-weekly instead of a monthly one, it never seemed to have entered their heads to give public notification of the fact. However, some of those who use the Snn Francisco mail route stirred them up by asking for definite information; thus it came about that a notice was circulated throughout the principal post offices on Tuesday last, that the next mail, via San Francisco, would leave on the 10th inst., and thereafter on every third .Saturday afternoon. The mail, of which this letter forms a part, will therefore be the initial one of the new and aceler.ited service.

With tho opening of tins service will begin the sailings of the three boats, the premier steamships of the Pacific-Anslrnlasiap trade, wliieh have been built for the A. and A. line, or, as it is, perhaps, better '.iimvn in New Zealand, tho Spreckels line. These vessels, the Sierra, the Sonoma, and Ventura, are twin-screw boats of over 6000 tons, anil the contract for them specified that they should be capable of maintaining .1 speed of over 17 knots for the entire trip from San Francisco to Auckland and Sydney. BuiJt under Lloyd's register and complying with the requirements cf the American Government, they can bo transformed inio armed cruisers at thirty-six hours' notice. Seeing that the now line, for it is practically that, opens to-day, I took the opportunity of seeing Mr T. V. Wilson, the European traffic superintendent of the A. and A. lino, at his office, 322 Pall Vail, immediately opposite the Carlton Hotel, which has now become a recognised centre for Americans in London.

With Mr Wilson I had a conversation with regard to tho changes which the running of the new boats will bring about.

All steamship lineo trading to Australia nnd New Zealand., via either Suez or the Cnpe. having rcee'itly raised their passenger fares. I asked Mr Wilpon if his line, intended to follow suit. Ho informed me (hat, they had—that is, so far as the " all round the world" rates are concerned, these having boon advanced proportionately to tho 10 per cent, surtax put on by (ho other linoE—in other words, £12, making a first-class passage £137. " And that is little enough, too," lie remarked, " for taking a passenger, first-class, across tho Atlantic, through America, then down the Pacific, to New Zealand and Australia, and round the world, via Suez."

Next, I asked Mr Wilson if it was intended to raise the rates via America to tho colonies, apart from the " round tho world " tickets. Mr Wilson replied thai that was quite possible, for the present rates wore absurdly, low. There was, ho raid, generally a spirit among steamship companies to increase their rates to moot enhanced coal bills and other charges which have increased so much of recent years. "Take a good-sized vessel using up, say, 500

tons a day; it makes a. big difference whethei 3'ou pay 16s a ton or 36s for your coal, doesn't it?" ■

As to whether it was anticipated that putting on the new boats would add to thoir usa by the travelling public passing from tho colonies to Europe every year, Mr Wilson said of course they had been handicapped in tho past by their old boats. Those of tho newfleet, however, would be as fine as anything going through Suez; they were powerful and suitablo in size as well as speed; they, too, were .twin-screw, while many of tho passenger ships going to Australasia via tho Canal were single screw. In their fittings the new boats were absolutely up-to-date, and would, in fact, be ahead of many of the boats built on "this side " of the Atlantic in the matter of electric lighting and calling, electrically-driven fans, and puch "little details" which, however, add much for the comfort of passengers, especially in the tropics. In the dining saloons no fewer than 12 of these electricallydriven fans have been fixed—these should be a great boon.

I gathered, also, confirmation of tho rumour which I sent you last week that the running for the first trip of the Sonoma, the Becond boat hooked to leave, would be taken up by the Mariposa, delay having been caused by a strike among the wood-workers at.the shipbuilders' yard--. " That, however." said Mr Wilson, " will not mean very much delay in the carriage of that particular mail, and even then we shall keep the mail schedule times." As tho service advances, and it is found the vessels can develop greater speed, they will be driven at it, added Mr Wilson in conclusion.