The Star. FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1903. THE PHILANTHROPIC YANK.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7765, 24 July 1903, Page 2

The Star. FRIDAY, JULY 24, 1903. THE PHILANTHROPIC YANK.

Either the New Zealand representative of the Oceanic Steamship Company is an extremely simple individual, or he imagines that New Zealanders are simple folk. Otherwise -he would aiot have circulated, by means of the Press Association, what he describes as an official statement of expenditure of the San Francisco mail steamers in New Zealaud as evidence of the value of the San Francisco service to this colony. As it is scarcely likely that simplicity would be a dominating characteristic ,of an employee of the Oceanic Company, especially one holding such an important position as its agent in New Zealand, we aire left with the conclusion that it is Mr Dunnett's opinion of us which has iuspiredl his ingenious doci**' ment. In truth, Mr Dunnett must think we are fools. By a process of reasoning perfecly satisfactory to himself,, no doubt; ho is trying to make us believe that the San Francisco eervice results in a considerable financial gain to this colony. How interesting ! Now we, in our ignorance, had hitherfo supposed that the service cost New Zealand some £15,000 a year. This, tit least, was the sum voted by Parliament last year as payment to the Oceanic Company. But apparently the company declines to keep the money. In a spirit of generosity which we can- only describe as unbounded, it not only hands the £15,000 /back to us, but makes us a present of an additional sum of £18,000 a year. That is something like generosity. We have heard remarkable stories of American philanthropy, and - it is common knowledge that the Yankee's generosity, like everything else American, is invariably on a lairge scale. Bub really th? kindness of Messrs Spreckles is overwhelming. Let us consider what it amounts to. They ptrovida us with a mail route of

" unrivalled speed," served by commodious and comfortable passe-ng-ar steamers, andi they take our exports to Ameri ca and bring back our imports — in return for what? For less than nothing ! It is true that ay© make a little pretence of paymen.tr But that is done merely to soothe our national pride. The money, so Mr Dunnett declares, comes balckto New Zealand, and £18,000 wtth it! Talk about trade enterprise. The pedlar who sells gold, watches for half a crowii must beoeeforth hj.de' his diminished head. He simply " isn't in it " with the Mean's Spreckles. But we have long ago learnt to look with suspicion on the street merchant's methods of business. They are so opposed to reason tliat we are not surprised! to find that they are but a cloak to disguise) other devices, which, it is needless to say, do not include selling gold watches for half a crown. The same principle, we fear, guides the dealings of the Ooeanic Company. We may be innocent >vith all the simplicity of the rustic newly com© to town, but we instinctively grow suspicious when the Messrs Spieckles's gold watch is dangled in front of our eyes, and we are invited not to buy it for lialf a crown, but to acospt it as a present and half a crown to boot. Tlie truth is that the Oceanic Company has overstepped the mark. In itsi anxiety to obtain a renewal of the New Zealand subsidy it lias tried to make itself appear philanthropic, and! only succeeded in being ridiculous.