CHANGE IN THE P. AND O. CO'S

Timaru Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 1339, 4 January 1879, Page 2

CHANGE IN THE P. AND O. COS

INDIAN MAIL ROUTE. (S. M. Herald, Dec. 20th.) The Government (says the Daily News, of October 22nd) lately made a contract with the Peninsular and Oriental Company which involves the abolition m February, 1880, of the Southampton mail service, and the dispatch of all correspondence and newspapers by way of Brindisi. One effect of this change, it ia said, will be that the steamers of tho above company will no longer call at Malta, and that consequently the island will lose all the advantages accruing to it from 104 -visits per annum now paid by these steamers. The ■withdrawal from Malta of direct mail communication with Egypt and India will no doubt prove of great inconvenience to the naval and military officers stationed at Valetta. But the Maltese are naturally more concerned on their own account than they are on that of the English families living m the island. The trade of Valetta largely depends upon the hurried visits made to the Strada Reale by tho passengers on board mail steamers. Brief as the BO^ourn is, it ia usually long enough' to enable visitors to part with a good deal of their spare cash m exchange for the special products of the island, to see the splendid public buildings of the city, and even to indulge m a hasty drive to the old town of Civita Vecchia, or to St. Paul's Bay. The passengers by the Peninsula and Oriental steamers are exactly the class of people who have money to spare, and who are disposed to spend it m gratifying their curiosity, or m purchasing presents for their friends. It is estimated that, if the steamers no longer touch at Malta, the commercial community will sustain a loss of £50,030 per annum. If the exigencies of the service require it, and if economy and efficiency will be promoted by the change, we applaud the Government for making it. But the Maltese, of course, do not like it ; and the local authorities have appealed to the Government to reconsider their decision. We have no doubt that their representations will be fairly considered. But justice must be done, even though the sky should fall m Valotta.