Untitled

Star (Christchurch), Issue 98, 5 September 1868, Page 2

In last Tuesday's issue of the Otago Daily Times, we find the announcement of a very interesting fact. Our contemporary points out that to-day will commence a great ocean raci, literally round the world. Two English mails will be despatched from Dunedin, the one by Panama and the other by Suez. This, coutinuea our contemporary, is worth noting, not only because it is the first time such an event has occurred — it will probably be the last — but because it is remarkable in the history of so young a colony. Such is the introduction to a lougiah article on the Postal question. The writer raises the question whether it is wise on the part of a community so young, a popu lafcion so poor and so small, to pay for duplicate services. This question has, doubtless, occurred to many of our readers, especially of late, when the arrival and departure of the Panama and Suez mails has been nearly simultaneous. In reading over our files Irom Victoria, we notice that the merchants of Melbourne are crying out loudly for a fortnightly postal service between England aud Australia. A small section, who have persistently advocated the establish ment of what is called the Cape route, are now very energetic iv pointing oui the facilities which it offers. But we agree with the writer in the Otago Daily Times wheu he says that one great defect in the Cape scheme is that, with the exception of a few Cape and Mauritius letters, it would carry no other correspondence than that between its termini. It would, it is true, with the Suez service, complete a fortnightly communication between England and Australia ; but it would leave all the North and South American correspondence, whether Atlantic or Pacific, to go round by England to and from Australia. The telegraphic news, too, that it would bring would be only to the departure of the vessels from their English porta. These are not slight disadvantages, and the argument that these steamers would or could carry emigrants from England at moderate rates of passage money, completing their voyage iv the same number of days as are occupied by the present Suez-Marseilles service, does not affect the question of a Postal Service. At the Postal Conference held in Melbourne last year it was laid down that any scheme of ocean postal communication will be valuable to each of the colonies in proportion to the number of points of commercial intercourse which it shall be made to include, consistently with expedition and regularity of conveyance between Great Britain and Australasia. Thia no doubt, is a sound theory, and when the Cape route is tested by it, few will bo found to favour the establishment of such a service. Victoria, although she might expect to secure the co-operation of Western and South Australia, and probably Tasmania, in the maintenance of the Cape route, can hardly look for assistance from New South Wales, Queensland, and New Zealand. The merchants of Sydney, and the people of New South Wales generally, have learned to appreciate the advantages of the Panama service, and Queensland has a pet scheme of her own, which offers many inducements to commercial enterprise. New Zealand, New South Wales, and Queensland have so many interests in common on this question of postal com-

; municatii.u thai; they ought, if possible, ' to combine with the view of establish- ) ing the Torres Straits route. That ' route commends itself on several good > grounds. The P. & 0. Company's I vessels already carry the English mails ' to Siugnpore, where there are docks ■ in which thr-ae si earners are regularly t examined. The probability, therefore, . is, that iho Company would offer to f convey the mails from Singapore to i Australia by Torres Straits at a loss i sum than any other <-oinpariy. By the i employment of good steamers, bound ' to a curtain average speed, and onthe ' completion of certain improvements i now going on in the Straits, the mail i ought to be delivered in New Zealand ~> within less time than by the Suez I Hue, while the public inlelligence i by telegraph, nnd much private and [ business information by the same way, would, iv connection with the mail steamer, reach us much earlier than by any other rou^e. The line by i i onvs Straits . and Singapore is a ■ smooth water passage, with natural ' advantages unknown to any other route, and would probably, when well , opened, be the one preferred by all passengers proceed ing to England. Looking at the route as something i more than a mere line of postal communication with Europe, wo cannot ; fail toseo that it would open up to the colonies a uew, safe, and rapid meaua of access to India, China, Japau, and the. whole of the rich Eastern Archipelago.