NEW ZEALAND MAIL SERVICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13857, 21 March 1907, Page 2

NEW ZEALAND MAIL SERVICES.

ENGLISH COMMENTS. , j[Faou Our Ovtk Coreespojjdf.ht.) a LONDON', February 1. Two arliclcs have appeared this week in . the Morning Post having--reference to the -> mail services between New Zealand and the Mother Country. In one of those the v resolution of the last Colonial Conference, -( in 1902,1 is recalled to llic efl'cet that '* it J is desirable that., in view- of lite groat \ extension of foreign subsidies to shipping, tho position of the (nail services between ( different parts of the Empire should be j reviewed by the respective Governments. In all new contracts provisions slioiild be. j inserted to prevent excessive freight j charges or any' preference in favour of foreigners, and to ensure that such of the steamers as may bosuitable. shall be .'at tho ( service of his Majesty's Government in war timo as cruisers or transports." " I It is remarked: "Mr Seddon, on behalf ;i of New Zealand, was, of course, bound to " assent to a proposition so exactly squaring j with his own - professions and with tho t strong Imperial sentiment which thev had , helped to/foster. I'ut Mr Seddon never , pushed the matter as lie pushed so many J others' of a similar tendency, and there | arc very good reasons why his successor ( .should bo equally mum. The, fact- is that ( this colony is so flagrant a sinner against both'thd ipirit and tho letter of tho re?o : ; lutidii above quoted that its representa.live could only hang his head in shame , . More any Imperial assembly which discussed tho question with a full knowledge of our position. .New Zealand, .the most . loyal of colonies, or, at anyrate, the loudest, in its expressions or loyalty, do.ponds, and has'for years depended,-for W'" chief ocean mail services upon a 'contract from "which' British ships am absolutely barred in favour of vessels which. to adapt Iho language of the resolution, may'lie 'at the service of his Majesty's enemies in war time as cruisers or transports.' Mr Seddon-protested to the last that the Union Jack was flic only llag to fly' in the Pacific, but lie considered tho Stars and Stripes .quite- good oilotiph to carry our innils, and this .notwithstanding the dramatic fashion in which British vessels received notice to-quit.' 1 --- Tho boycotting of tho s.s. Jloana at Honolulu' is nbxt referred to, and the unanimous representation made by the ijas" ' Kengor.v oh board that boat—"That in view of tho American law which prohibits British, ships from carrying passengers and cargo hetween Honolulu and America,, the New Zealand passengers on board the Moaim wish to express their hope that a, subsidy will not bo granted to the new American.-line -if British ships.are. to he excludod. from participating in it," is quote*), .the comment being added: "Bn» New" Zealand Government duly received tliis resolution, admired it, sympathised with itv and put it -in its pigeon-holes. whc.ro it has remained ever since'. Tho American line got tho contract with n subsidy of £20.000,. tho original condition that at lpaat ono British vessel should bo employed was abandoned, the, Union . Steam aiiip' Company of New. Zealand )ta(l to with<lraw altogether, and all tho way from Auckland! to the Atlantic the mails of- tho inost patriotic (if colonies, travel under the American flag."- ' - ' In view of the unsatisfactory .character ot the San Francisco service the Morning Post, points out that there is an alternative— !" That of a mail contract with the British lino''of steamers running from Vancouver, via Fiji'f(oml tactiittes Ruining Island, tho mid-ocean station of the l'acific cable) lo Brisbane and Sydney. The suggosted .sen-ice would involve a diversion'of these boats from l''iji to Auckland, a branch' servico . from Fiji being a coinpromiso which would, he detrimental to passenger traffic. Accordingly, it. would lie necessary to put additional boats for tho New Zealand servioo on thq Vancouver line, and to justify this ■ stop measures would have to bo taken , ; to divert, the general "trade of New Zealand from the United States to Cana'da.; Thus • tlto shipping question again:brings tip the fundamental question of Imperial preference. If Canada and Now Zealand can 00-opcrale 'effectively lo stimulate reciprocal trade, there should be no-difficulty about' 'increasing the mail Milisidv, as may be to sccurc a British service, considering tho wonderful expansion of rcvenno which botJi countries are enjoying. Sir Wilfrid Laurior, who; consistently opposes the principle, ot colonial cash contributions to' tho 'navy, perhap-j ivonld ailviso New Zealand to uphold the maritime strength of tho Empire by subsidising "all-red ""mail' routes, instead'of folloiving the policy lately announced by Sir Joseph Ward, who proposes to increase the naval contribution if the admiralty will keep more shipii.in Australasian waters." Jn this conneotion 1 may observe that an unusual amount of attention is now being' given to 'the Now Zixdmid mail services, not merely by the newspapers, but also by the public. I hoar tlto opinion strongly expressed that, adva-ntage ojight io "lie taken of the present opportunity—on tho eve of a new contract, and with a financial surplus of half a million—to establish a really good service, and that, not moi'ely'as.'rc'gai'ds swiftness and punctuality', but also witli the view to tho conveyance of travellers. ' Ocean-going steamships of 10,000-to 12,000 tons ought, to be employed on a«sDrvico which might casilv.be so important, arid which would certainly be so largely used by travellers generally, whether Now Zoalahders visiting the Mother Country or "'.Motlior- Countrymen " visiting New.' Zealand.