MAIL SERVICES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 9307, 6 August 1908, Page 1

MAIL SERVICES.

: . 4 . THE AMERICAN ROUTE; STATEMENT BY THE POSTMASTER- ! GENERAL. [Fbom Our Cokkesfondent.] WELLINGTON,. August 5. In the course of a reply to the mem- : her for Clutha to-day, the PostmasterCreneral made reference to the suggested possibility of securing a mail eervico between Britain and New Zealand by way of Panama or Mexico. He said that as the steaming distance from Wellington to Panama and Colon to xy- j mouth was only 620 miles lesjs than tho i route Wellington to Strait' of Magel- | lan, Rio de Janeiro and Monte Video, and as transhipment to the railway at Panama and from the railway to the steamer at Colon would probably occupy the better portion of a day, there would be no advantage in considering the establishment of a mail service by way of Panama. The route, he added, would, in any case, bo of use almost solely for mails and passengers, so that any subsidy asked m%ht be expected to be very high. Leaving out the call at Monte Video and Rio Janeiro, the distance should be even less than stated. By way of Cape Horn the distance would be two hundred miles more than by way of the Strait of Magellan. Even if mails were sent by way of Cape Horn they would, as a rule, reach Plymouth not more than about three days later than mails sent by way of Panama. " As regarded a mail service by way of Mexico," he said, "the only route for mails which would be practicable is from New Zealand to Salina Cruz, and thence by railway to New York, the latter being the only port at present from which fast steamers run to the United Kingdom. Salina Cruz is approximately two hundred miles nearer Auckland than Vancouver, say about j thirteen hours' steaming time in advantage of Salina Cruz. On the other j hand, the railway journey from Van- j couver to New York is estimated to be | shorter than from Salina Cruz to New ! York, so that in point of speed no i practical advantage would bo gained by sending mails by way of Mexico. Apart from this there is no question that a connection with Canada is of much greater importance to New Zealand than one with Mexico would be. Another possible route, namely from New Zealand to Topolobampo, in the Gulf of California, has recontly been brought under notice. As, however, it will bo some years before a fast train service is 1 likely to run from Topolobampo to Kansas City, the Gulf of California route may be regarded in tho meantime as negligible. There is, therefore, no reason to abandon the negotiations now tjoing on for an Imperial fast mail ser/ice on the Atlantic and Pacific, witli sonnectiug points in Canada."