PACIFIC MAILS

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 237, 8 May 1933, Page 3

PACIFIC MAILS

Renewed Contract DIRECT ROUTE ALTERNATIVE Prospect Growing Nearer The renewal of contracts for tne carriage of mails by the San Francisco and Vancouver routes as fioni May 1, with right of termination by giving three months’ notice fioni either side, revives the question as to the possibility of utilising the direct liners which give a regular passenger and cargo service between New Zealand and Britain. This was mentioned as a possibility a few years ago by a former Postmaster-General, but the conditions are not yet suitable for sole reliance on this route for quick dispatch of first-class mail matter. However, all second-class mail packages go by this route, and a great saving is being effected in transit charges, with not much loss of time. The Vancouver and ’Frisco services iiiAmlve an annual expenditure of nearly £57.000, the principal items being as follow; — £ Transit across Canada .. .. 5,000 Transit across United States . 9,000 New Zealand to San Francisco 22,092 New Zealand to Vancouver .. 18,308 Land transit Great Britain . 400 Epensexs of travelling officers on Pacific 1,001 New ships on the direct route via Panama have cut down the time between New Zealand and England, until, on occasion, the Pacific services can show very little advantage in the schedule. Rut the difficulty would be to maintain a time-schedule equal to the best which can be offered today on the Panama route, as all the vessels in these services are not of equally high speed As developments continue, however, the prospect of using the direct route for first-class mail is growing nearer, and the Post and Telegraph Department is in a strong position to utilise whatever route it chooses, owing to the statutory power it exercises to place mails on any vessel.