MAIL SERVICES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14898, 29 July 1910, Page 2

MAIL SERVICES.

STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER. PROSPECT OITNDEPENDENT LINE. (Fsok Our Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 28. The Prime Minister has received from the Canadian Government the conditions of tendev for a,. mail service between Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Tenders will be received up till noon on November 1.

The service is to .consist of.-a sailing every four weeks from Vancouver, and tenders will be . received ' fpr proposals for the service on the following alternative routes (a) Sailing fiom Vancouver, and calling at Victoria, iHonolulu, Suva, and Brisbane, to Sydney,-and. return to Vancouver; (b) sailing from Vancouver, and calling at Victoria,.. Honolulu, Suva, Auckland, and Sydney, to Melbourne, and return to Vancouver! (c) sailing from Vancouver arid calling at Victoria, Honolulu, Suva, Auckland, an 3 Sydney, to Brisbane, and return to Vancouver; (d) sailing from and returning to Vancouver, and calling each way at such of the ports hereinbefore stated as may be -specified by those submitting ■ the proposals. The service is to commence four weeks after the present contract with the Union Com pany expires oil July 31, 1911. Alternative tenders are invited for terms of three or five years. Preference will be given to vessels providing, amongst other things, the most satisfactory refrigerator and insulated space. The vessels to be employed are to be classed Al and to run under the British flag. These conditions were laid on the table of the House .to-day. .

On being questioned by Mr J. Allen as to where New Zealand stood in regard to the question of the Vancouver service, the Prime Minister stated that the matter was in abeyance pending the receipt by Canada of tenders for a service. If Canada got a satisfactoiy tender which did not'include New Zealand, this country would not be consulted, but if New Zealand were included in. the tender, lie presumed that it would be consulted. The House would have an opportunity to discuss the matter, for it might bo that New Zealand might have to go on its own account. New Zealand had already aslced that she should be included.

Mr Allen: What was the answer?

Sir Joseph replied that Australia had declined to 'allow New Zealand to come in' until the expiry of the present contract, in July, 1911. The terms of the contract for which Canada was tendering were oi an alternative natrtre, New Zealand being included in one instance, and left out in another. TJie petition, as far -as New Zealand was concerned was pretty clear. The' present .Vancouver service was an .'Australian and a-Canadian one. If the new contract did not include New Zealand, it was beyond question that New Zealand would have to go in for a service, of its own.

v " $■.;B.,'T»yJq/.: l .Oiir ,«wn steamers? Sir Jofepli said that that would be a pretty costly job, New Zealand, however, could not remain in the position of being at the whim of ;-nother country in regard .to a mail service. He honed that- N-ew ; Zealand' would fie. included -in the ' contract 'on 'good' term's,' for New Zealand had a preferential ..trade - with Canada,- whilst Australia; had not.; If New Zealand could not get a service with Canada it must have one with some other •country.- .

Mr Allen expressed the opinion that New Zealand should approach Canada on the matter before a tender was accepted. Sir , Joseph Ward : They have been told that at different times,

Mr Allen : If we extend a friendly hand to: Canada they may make New Zealand a. party to the contract!

The Prime Minister added that the difficulty up till , now had not been'with Canada, but < with 'Australia.- Canada had been willing to allow the steamers to call at New Zealand, but not so Australia, since the steamers were diverted from New Zealand to Australia 14 years ago by the inclusion of Brisbane. Canada was in the same difficulty , that New Zealand was in—that Australia wanted Brisbane included. ' Personally, he had come to the oonclusiori that at all events New Zealand' might, have to get its' service. Whilst 'New Zealand would : welcomo a satisfactory arrangement with Canada and Australia, 6he was not going to'stand by and do nothing, ■ >

Mr Massey : "Hear, hear." Mr Maesey said that in the case of New -Zealand' not being able to arrange fori the' Canadian steamers to, call at a' New Zealand port-,, he would like to ask if the Prime Minister would make arrangements for a connecting mail service with Suva. That would not be, satisfactory, but 'it would be better than nothing. Personally,,lie was very strongly in favour of. improving our mail service, and he thought thai tie Canadian route was the one to take,' but if it depended on ourselyes aloliie to provide such a servico—if it was not possible to work with Canada,--the cost of jjie service would ibe a long way beyond our means. He thought' that thePrime Minister should give the' House aii opportunity 'of considering- the whole question very soon—certainly this session.

Mr Malcolm-.a6ked if the Prime.Minister had considered ■ the possibility of securing a service via Central America in the.near future.

The Prime Minister, in replying, 3aid that the country had a very good mail service via Suez.

Mr Massey : It is very slow. The Prime Minister : It is a very good service, and comparatively inexpensive. He had~ been talking of a mail service across the Pacific. If we 'could not share in such a. serviee under the conditions we wore entitled to, it was a question whether wb should not go in for it ourselves. He did not agree that the cost would be excessive. He thought that the advantage of keeping the 1 steamers ; in our own waters and touching at the large ports of.New'Zealand, making Auckland the first and final port of call, would he worth a great deal more to New Zealand than die extra cost- we should pay. At present we were paying three-quarters of. the total subsidy and most of the benefit went to Australia. We should consider the desirability of having t a service belonging to our own country and keeping the money for stores anil repairs in New Zealand.

Mr T. B. Taylor: Is there any possibility of reviving the San Francisco service 1

Sir Joseph Ward: I think there is. Continuing, the Prime Minister said he did not believe in bolstering up a service that did not touch'at this country. The,'-transhipping service with Suva cost £14.000 or £17,000 a- year, and it was not composed of very fast si-earners. He did not- know the oost of the Canadian service, but he thought that we should be able to get it from Caimda. Up till now we had displayed a great deal of generosity in paying a great amount for services 111 which New Zealand was the fifth wheel of the coach, and did not get that consideration which he thought the importance" of this country warranted. Before the Government arrived at a decision on the question it would have to consult Parliament an'd jjot the question

before' it. Nothing could be done until advice was received from Canada in regard to its proposals.