THE Wellington Independent. Tuesday, April 22, 1862. THE STEAM PROPOSALS.

Wellington Independent, Volume XVII, Issue 1718, 22 April 1862, Page 2

THE Wellington Independent. Tuesday, April 22, 1862. THE STEAM PROPOSALS.

Mr. Ward, and the public generally, have good grounds for dissatisfaction at the action now taken by the Chamber of Commoice relative to Steam. Whether it was wise to make new arrangements so uear the approaching Assembly, it is not now necessary to enquire. Mr. Ward submitted his proposals to the Chamber of Commerce here, and, seeing that a new scheme was to be at once arranged for, they wisely endeavoured to make it as advantageous to our interests as they possibly could. They condemned it only on one point, and, provided that objection (the being knocked off from direct communication with Sydney) were remedied, they heartily approved it. Now, however, that Mr. Ward has continued the Sydney trunk line and secured the terminus for Wellington, the Chamber have ussuiled the scheme right and left on entirely new grounds- -grounds which if stated at the time would, we donbt not, have met Jwith all impossible consideration. We think we can make it perfectly clear that the Chamber has mislead Mr Ward and the public. We should be the last to say that they did so intentionally; but that they have so misled both Mr. Ward and the public, we think there can be no doubt about. On the Isih February, after hearing Mr. Ward's proposals, the Chamber passed it resolution thanking him " for his unreserve 1 aud explicit explanations" and promising to discuss the proposals at au early opportunity. So far as Mr. Ward then is concerned, he oannot be accused of keeping anything back; he gave " unreserved and explicit explanations" on whatever points the Chamber desired. The proposals were discussed fully on the 24th. The Chairman said he believed .Mr, Ward's scheme was cut and dried, but he " thought, nevertheless, that, it " was the duty of the Chamber to remon- " strate against the adoption of any " arrangement which would have the " effect of shutting us out from steam com- " munieation with Sydney, and thas de- " stroying our trade with New South ] " Wale 9." Mr. James Smith said, that i " instead of paying any subsidy for extra- < " provincial boats, they ought to apply <

"for a Aittel boat, which they tfePa a* " much entitled to as Auckland was." Mr. Duncan proposed a resolution, in which the same objection was made the maiu ground of complaint — " * * * "That this Chamber feol it will be their " duty to oppose, by every legitimate " moans in their power, the proposed " new plan, or any alteration the tendeny " of which would be to sacrifice so palpa- " bly the commerce and interests of this " Province with New South Wales" Mr. Bowler, in seconding this resolution, trusted the Superintendent would refuse i to grant a subsidy for adding a fourth coastal steamer to the three proposed by I Mr. Ward ; alluded to the large tiade with Sydney, which •' would be seriously "injured, if not ruined, if. Wellington " were removed from the trunk line" and made the following recommendation (the only practical recommendation, for improving the proposals, that was made at the meeting) — "If they consented to pay ." a subsidy at all, it should be <foP«tha €f purpose of bringing the Sydney or Mcl- " bourne boat on here, making Wellington the terminus." Mr. Johnstou, also said, " that they ought to protest most " strongly against any arrangements " ivhich would deprive Wellington of the "advantage of a trunk line," all the speeches in feet harped mainly, we might almost say entirely, on this one string. The last paragraph in Mr. Duncan's resolution, prefering the plan recommended by the last Assembly, does not appear to have beeu specially noticed by any of the speakers, apparently, because the Chamber Was more particularly intent on the prospect of the removal of the trunk steamer. Next day the Chamber again met. To convince the reader that the only objection which was urged against Mr. Ward's proposals, was that of cutting us off the truuk line from Sydney, we quote in full the opening speech of the chairman (Mr. Banantyne). The Chairman said that the meeting bad been called for the purpose of further considering the propositions of the Postmaster-General because it was thought by some of the member s that the resolution the} had passed on the pre vious day did uot embrace the whole subject. While the Chamber disapproved of the proposal to shut off Wellington as one of the ports on the trunk line of cominnnicttion witb Sydney, they were in favor of enlarging the inter provincial service, and of the establishment of steam communication with England via Pinan?a. The resolution as it stood would lead Mr. Ward to believe that there were no points in the proposed arrangements with which they agreed, which was not the case. Though they strongly objected to the Sydney boat being cut off, they approved of the other propositions of the Postmaster-General. The Chamber thereupon' confirmed the resolution of the day previously, and after passing another approving of the Panama route, agreed to the following: — That this Chamber pledges itself to use iU utmost influence with the Provincial Govern, mentofthis Province to place as large a sum as possible on the estimates for the encouragement of Steam Communication between the different provinces. Now bearing iv mind what the Chairman said, as already quoted, and that Mr. Ward had stated that " what he " wanted to know was whether the Chamber " preferred a weekly or a fortnightly com- " muuication with the South. Ihe Go- " vernment being prepared to carry out "the latter with their own funds; but " would require assistance from the Pro- " vincesfor a weekly service," the public, ourselves, and Mr. Ward could attach no other meaning to the resolution about inducing the Provincial Government to " encourage steam communication between the provinces" than that the Chamber desired to assist Mr. Ward in arranging for the weekly service he had bo pointed'y alluded to. In the arrangements Mr. Ward enter* ed into at Sydney, he endeavoured to meet the only, objection urged against his proposals, and instead of taking away the trunk line, did precisely what Mr. Jiowler had suggested he should do, viz* continue the steamer from Sydney to Cook's Strait making Wellington the terminus, 011 the supposition that the provincial Government would fall in with that gentleman's recommendation, and grant a small subsidy, for £1000 a year must be considered to be a very small subsidy by those who think the trunk line necessary to prevent Wellington from becoming a fifth rate port, which Capt. Rhodes said the loss of the present trunk steamer would soon bring about. This opinion is one from which we differ, sinoe Auckland except only for a few months, has never had any of the Coleman steamers running direct ; the Airedale from Nelson to Mauakau being the only means of her bommuriiba* lion by this lin e. Auckland h not a fifth-rate port, yet she has had either to tranship at Nelson from the trunk steamer nearly the whole term of the Colemau Company's axistence, or depend upon her sailing craft. ; ' :

A reference to the report of tHd meeting, held last Thursday, will show that, the objection previously urged having been met by Mr. Ward in the way suggested by Mr. Bowler, new causes of dissatisfaction are now stated for the first time. Why did not the Chamber at first iuform Mr. Ward that the YV. S. N. Company must be considered, and that he ought to call for tenders in the colouy before doing so out of it. He asked for their opinions, why did they not state them. If all these objections occurred to them, it . was unjust, uncourteous, and unwise to ' withhold them. Why did the Chamber lead Mr. Ward to suppose that there was only one objection instead of half a dozen. He remedied the one, he might, perhaps, have remedied the others, had he been informed of them. We very much regret that the objec tion to Mr. Ward's scheme, now that Wellington is to be made the terminus of the steamer from Sydney via Nelson, (or the first aud last port of call if Canterbury is substituted for Nelsou) should rest on such a very narrow ground as a temporary loss of employment by the W. S.N. Co.'s two little vessels. That Company it appears has a profit balance in hand of £2000; and considering that it is sub" sidizedbyonrown Government at the rate of £1000 a year, can surely still find remunerative employment. It never could calculate on being additionally subsidized by Hawke's Bay and Marlborough for any very long period, and ought not to expect a complete postal service for the whole colony to give way merely for its advantage. Whether Mr. Wards's scheme receive the sanction of the Assembly or not, or whether any contretemps at Otago prevent its being called into existence at all; it remains on record that the Chamber of Commerce suggested only one defect, and that when that defect was very materially remedied, it then found, or at any rate only then expresse d objections whichall must acknowledge are framed on a very narrow basis. There can thus be no doubt that Mr. Ward and the public, who alike supposed that the only ob. jeetion of the Chamber was to the removal of the Trunk line, have fair ground of complaint against the Chamber for the manner in which they have dealt with this matter.