THE INTER-COLONIAL STEAM COMPANY.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVI, Issue 1680, 29 October 1861, Page 5

THE INTER-COLONIAL STEAM COMPANY.

The luter-Colonial Steam Company have sent out Captain Johu Vine Hall, (late of the Great Eastern) to take the management of their business in the Colonies. We may, therefore, hope that a marked improvement will take place in our postal arrangements — an improvement for which we have so frequently shown there is plenty of room. Captain Hall arrived in Nelson by the Lord Worsley and would there accidentally meet with the Postmaster-Gene-ral, who was on board the Airedale for Auckland, whither they would probably both proceed. It is generally understood that the Company have declined to place a steamer on the Sydney and Auckland line, the business with Otago offering a more remunerative employment for their spare boat. Probably, Captain Hall may make the necessary arrangements, failing which the Government will of course immediately throw the line open for contract elsewhere. Captain Hall being a man of experience, and at one time in the Australian Mail service, we persume it will not be necessary to do more than call his attention to the easy-goiug mauner in which his Company have heretofore treated the New Zealand mails. Large premiums are awarded to the steamers from Galle to Australia for passages under the stipulated time, but however early the mailf may reach Sydney no advantage results to New Zealand. The mail may arrive there, aa it did this month, on the lltb but the steamer for New Zealand never casts off from the wharf before the 17th; as if, now that the hour the ocean steamer will arrive in Sydney is known, by means of thsjtelegraph, four or five days previously, the New Zealaud steamer's arrangements could cot be completed so to enable her to sail immediately on receiving the mails. But still more absurd are their moveraents in New Zealand. No matter how quick the passage from Sydney to Nelson, we, in Wellington, never seem to obtain our letters any the sooner. Three and four days are almost invariably spent in Nelson, under the plea of leaving according to the date fixed in the time table. A plea which seems never to be thought of here, for the steamers appear to make up all their real or anticipated lost time by. using thegreatest expedition in Wellington — generally staying only so long as coaling or trade purposes require — often but a few hours. The mail arrived at Nelson ou Monday the 21st and left there on Thursday the 24th. Why there should be such a delay we do not know ; but we hope that Captain Hall will see that all possible despatch is exercised in future. And if the mails can be delivereda day or two earlier|thanthey are expected, we assure him no one will find fault with him, since the Postmaster-Ge-neral, who once threatened to fine one of ihe Inter-* iolonia! captains for appearing in the Manakau a day earlier than his time by the table, is now out of office and replaced by one who is awake to the times. The Nelson Examiner reports that Capt. Hall has already recommended the Company to send out two powerlul vessels for the trunk line, so as regularly to make the passage from jSydnoy to Nelson in four or five days — a recommendation which gives promise of his beiag fully alive to the interests of his employersinterests which will be found in the long run to be best served by affording the utmost advantages to the Colony,