THE Thames Advertiser. THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1896, 20 August 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. THURSDAY, AUGUST 20, 1874.

The irregularity in the despatch of our European and American mails is a source of much inconvenience and ; annoyance. With last month's mails still on hand, owing to the absence of a means of conveyance to Auckland at the time relied upon, wearetosuffer, the further inconvenience of a suspension of the Oalifornian mail line inconsequence of the incompetency of the contractor to carry it ou. The news has reached us most inopportunely, and so far as we are aware nothing is being done to remedy the matter by the Government of New Zealand. The suspension of the line affects New South Wales equally with this' colony, but prompt steps have been taken by interested parties in New South Wales to inquire into the circumstances, and to provide for a continuance of what wasjust beginning to be looked upon in the light of a great public convenience to the colonists of New Zealand and New South Wales. Mr H. H. llall, the managing director of! the new Australasian and American Steamship Company, proceeded to America in the mail steamer ( Tartar,' which left for Kandavu on the Ist! instant, in consequence of the receipt of telegraphic messages from London by a private firm in Sydney, which were of an unfavourable character as regarded the probability of the fulfilment of the existing contract between the New South Wales Government and the company in question, It was not until nearly a fortnight later that the Government of this colony were apprised of the circumstances, and up to the present no action has been taken to secure a continuance of the service by some fresh negotiations. The contract was looked upon as moat secure, and the agent of the New Zealand Government (Mr Thomas Russell) had the very best assurance that he left everything in a most perfect condition for the uninterrupted continuance of the service. The fact that two of the most eminent shipbuilders in Great Britain had accepted the contractor's order for four new steamers' at a cost of £400,000, specially for the fulfilment of this contract, was sufficient to justify Mr Russell in assuming that nothing would occur to interfere with the arrangements entered into. But the fault is explained by Mr Russell as follows: —" The chief cause of the present difficulty undoubtedly has been the hasty and premature contract made by the New South Wales Government with Mr H. H. Hall. Had Mr Samuel and myself been free to choose our contractors, we could have made arrangements with a company that would not have been afraid of a loss of £50,000 in starting this great undertaking, but our' hands were tied. Mr Hall had the New South Wales contract in his pocket. He esteemed it of great value, and would not admit any persons to participate > in it but those | who would allow him the foil manage

menfr. For my part, having secured from New South Wales the recognition of our right to one-half of the advantages of the sei'vice, 1 bad to make the best of the material at ray disposal, and put the contract into the best possible shape, and this I claim to have done before we accepted Mr Forbes." The chartering of five splendid steamships for the temporary service, and the order for four new ones of 3,000 tons each, which was accepted on undoubted security, was sufficient to satisfy the New Zealand Government representative that a judicious arrangement had been entered into, so far the circum- | stances narrated above would warrant. It now remains for the Government to be prepared to act with' promptitude in order that no effort may be spared to secure : the continuance of a line which has proved itself of such importance to the commercial interest of the colony. At present we cannot congratulate the Government upon taking such step. The Sydney Government have acted with promptitude in the matter by setting aside their agent, Mr Hall, who has probably, left to secure his own interest as much as the interest of the colony of New South Wales. The Sydney Government were negotiating for a steamer to leave there on the 27 th instant with the next outward mails, although at date of last advices a further obstacle had presented itself in consequence of the managers of the Australian Steam Navigation Company's vessels refusing to allow one of their steamships to be chartered for a single trip unless the balance of the temporary contract was guaranteed to them. No doubt, however, this would be satisfactorily arranged in view, of the great importance to the colony, of a continuance, of; the service. Another cause of the breakdown of the line which has been alleged is that the accident to the' Macgregor,' and the necessity that suddenly arose to charter local steamers to carry on the contract, involved an unanticipated expenditure on Mr Hall's part of upwards of £20,000, and this loss induced the company to ask for concessions ; which were not granted. Then followed the announcement of a suspension of the service, which was received in New Zealand .most Unexpectedly. The great magician of the colony is so much interested in /the progress of' his attempt to-demolish the reign of Provincialism in this island that he has not yet condescended to recognise the mail difficulty: 'when he doe? no doubt difficulties •. which at 1 present threaten consequences; the most disastrous to our commercial relations with America and England, by this route, will quickly disappear.. In the meantime, however, these relations are imperilled, and the danger of losing an opportunity of repairing the breach which has been made is, greatly increased by inaction. The opportunity for re-constructing the service upon a more permanent and satisfactory basis may be overlooked in this waste of valuable time on the part of the Government. If there is - a reason for inaction it should, at least, be given to the colony, that no unnecessary anxiety may be incurred; but we trust this silence does not portend the hopeless loss to the colony of a service of such importance to its best interests

V.The next Monthly Summary for transmit sion to Europe will be published ou Saturday, the mail closing at the Thames on Monday next." The Summary will only comprise three' week' news in consequence of the irregularity which has occurred in the despatch of mails, The Union Bank of Australia, Qrahamstown, shipped to Auckland yesterday per p, s, 'Golden Orown' ljOOOozs bullion. We are informed that telegrams were yes' ei* day passing between a member of the Assembly for this province, who makes his livelihood out of provincial politics, and a well-known resident of the Thames, requesting that the latter would endeavour to prevent the people of the Thames from passing any resolutions in favour of the abolition of the provinces. In reply to "Footpath" we have to state that the work complained of, viz., the unfinshed state of the crossing at the box drtin.t corner of Sealey and Pollen streets, has not yes been taken over by the Council, and it wretched condition will no doubt be greatly improved before it is. We quite agree with the writer that the state of the footpaths should be looked to as much as the condition'of the roadway and receive as much attention, without the necessity for individuils keeping them in repair. A portion of a lady's silk dress was found in the vicinity of the Academy of Music on Tuesday night by the police. The owner on describing the article may, we are informed, obtain it on application at the A.C. office, Shortland. In compliance with a requisition his Worship 4 the Mayor has convened a public meeting of tho * inhabitants, to be held at the Academy of Music at 6.30 p.m. to-morrow (Friday), to consider the proposal now before the Assembly for abolishing the North Island provinces. • The Rev. J. Davies delivered a very interesting lecture in the Baptist Church, Shortland, last night, on the subject of the exodus of Calmuck Tartars from Kussia to China towards the close of the last century. The reverend gentleman, in the course of a very instructive and edifying address, contrasted the condition of these people with the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt. He said that out of 600,000 people who left Russia in health and vigour to carry out their intention, scarcely onesixth of that vast multitude lived to reach their celestial land of promise—the remainder being killed by the biting frosts, starved by hunger, or massacred by the Cossacks. A hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the reverend lecturer at the close.

A meeting of the Waiotahi District Board was held yesterday. Present—Messrs Brodie (in the Chair), Porter, Cootes, and HillMessrs Cootes and Porter and the Chairman of the Board were appointed to mike arrange* ments for having a valuation made. The Foreman of works reported tliat the footpath from the Moanataiari Creek to the Eureka School was being made, and that the Upper Karaka bridle track being in a bad state, he had pnt on a man to repair it. On the recommendation of Mr Brodie, it wa3 resolved to complete the Eureka Road by contract. The Foreman was ordered to draw out specifications and call for tenders, returnable on Saturday, An 1 extension o£ time for tlie completion of contract No. 1 of the Waiotahi fioad was granted to Mr-Galla-gher. Mr F. C. Lean tendered his resignation as Secretary of the Board. A resolution was' passed asking Mr Dean to reconsider the matter before the next meetiug of the Board. Tho - Secretary was instructed (to communicate with Mr John Low, Waiotahi, offering him the Coljlectorship. The pay-sheet, amounting to £13 16s for the fortnight, was passed for'" payment, | Thia concluded tta business,

She English Opera company appeared last night, before another crowded audience, in the buffo opera of "The Grand Duchess,' but pressure on our space the notice prepared for theso columns. To-night is the last of the brief season announced by the proprietor, and " The Daughter of the Regiment will be produced. We hope the company will be induced, by another overflowing house, to prolong the season.

The cutter ' Hit or Miss' ran across to Whakatiwai yesterday with stores and provisions, but in consequence of the strong wind blowing she was unable to effect a lauding, and was forced to return to Tararu, where she came to anchor yesterday evening.

Messrs Price Bros, of this place were the successful tenderers for the new compound engine required for the 100-stamper battery which is to be erected on the beach near the mouth of the Karaka Creek, l'he engine is to be 150-horse power, jnominal, similar in construction to that in use at the Moauataiari battery, but more powerful. It will be when finished the largest and most powerful steam engine manufactured in the colony. Prices s foundry is kept well employed, as it deserves to be, The class'of work turned out there will compare favourably with that of any foundry in Australia. Besides the contract referred to Messrs Price tenders for the winding gear required by the Queen of the May Company and South British Association have also been accepted.

Mr T. W. Allen, of Coromandel, appears to have just grounds for complaint against the conductors of that notorious print, the Nems. He writes to the Gommndcl Mail as follows:

—"I was absent in town when the paragraph appeared in the News describing my business advertisement in the Mailaaa 'dummy,' else I should have contradicted the unmitigated falsehood in your last issue. Any advertisement of mine appearing in the Mail I pay for regularly, and if the News or tome of its employes had squared their obligations to me, 1 should now be favouring them with a paying advertisement also. ,You see the News resorts to every sort of intrigue to delude the public, and the sooner it is kicked out of Coromandel the better. I enclose a new advertisement, which please insert over leader in to-morrow's issue; after which let it appear on the first page until countermanded."