24

A.—3

an alternative service. South Australia and Tasmania are so dependent upon the Suez route, that they might possibly find themselves bound to contribute a very large sum towards its cost, on account of other Colonies having at their command other routes. " It is to be recollected that New South Wales's share of the correspondence by the Galle route is somewhat small, compared with her population—a circumstance to be accounted for by the fact that, being an old-established Colony, a considerable portion of her population is not in such active communication with the Mother Country as the population of younger Colonies. New South Wales's contribution to the Suez Service has not solely depended on her proportion of letters ; she has had to share with New Zealand and Queensland the cost of the service between Melbourne and Sydney. But, under the new arrangements proposed, all the Colonies would share the cost of the service and branches, in the proportion of the letters transmitted by them, and New South Wales's contribution would thus depend upon her somewhat small correspondence in proportion to her population. " The arguments adduced would be equally forcible supposing it were admitted that Victoria's insistance upon Melbourne being made the terminus of the Galle route was tyrannical and arbitrary. But the Eepresentatives of New Zealand are not altogether prepared to make such an admission. They think that the claim to the terminus was somewhat arrogantly asserted; but they believe that Victoria, paying as she would do the largest proportion of the cost of the service, has a right to insist upon the service being such as will be best suited to her wants. There can be no doubt that it is a great disadvantage to Victoria that the Peninsular and Oriental Company's boats should stay so short a time in Hobson's Bay. As soon as one of the boats is anchored, the passengers have to be hurried over her side: and freight to be sent on has to be delivered to the agent two or three days before the sailing date of the boat. " Another reason in favour of Melbourne being the terminus is that the longer the voyage the vessels make, the greater is the risk of a breakdown, and the less the time that is available for making repairs. " The present contractors do not keep a spare boat in Australia, and to require one would entail a large extra cost. The length of the voyage performed is very trying, considering that the boats are not auxilliary screw steamers, but keep on their course, regardless of the direction of the wind. The boats from Galle in reality come from Bombay. By proceeding on to Sydney, instead of stopping at Melbourne, 1,200 miles of steaming, there and back, are added to an already sufficiently arduous voyage. The distance from Bombay to Melbourne is about 6,000 miles. Clearly, it is desirable the boats should have as long a rest as is practicable before making the return voyage. Even if they stop at Melbourne, they will only have fifteen days to make any required repairs. To cause the boats to proceed to Sydney would, in the opinion of the New Zealand Eepresentatives, be to greatly increase the risk of occasional breakdowns ; besides that, as their stay in Sydney would necessarily be shorter, there would be less time for repairs. "It has been alleged that, by the decision of the Conference, New South Wales is placed in an unfair and unfavourable position. The Eepresentatives of New Zealand not only deny that allegation, but they contend that New South Wales will be placed in much the best position of any of tho Colonies. It has been virtually decided that New South Wales shall have the use of the Galle Service, on condition that she contributes to the cost, rateably in proportion to the correspondence carried for her ; the cost of the branch service being added to that of the main line. Hitherto, New South Wales has had to bear separately a considerable portion of the cost of tho service between Melbourne and Sydney. It has also been virtually decided by the Conference that Sydney shall be the terminus of the Torres Straits Service, and the Australian terminus of the San Francisco Service. "With respect to the latter, New Zealand has made New South Wales an offer* to extend the service to Sydney, to fix the times so that the service shall alternate fortnightly with the Galle Service at Sydney, to give to New South Wales a full share in the management, and to co-operate in requiring that the service shall be efficiently performed ; asking from New South Wales no larger payment than the postages, up to £5,000 a year, on mail matter transmitted for the Colony by the line. " Where vessels run in opposite directions, the much-urged advantage of a fortnightly service can only be given to one port. A fortnightly service at each port would require a duplication of a particular monthly service. Sydney will really be the only port at which a fortnightly service can bo given. The Torres Straits Service will be too lengthy to correspond with that to Galle, or it might be made a fortnightly alternative service. But, under the offer made respecting the San Francisco Service, New South Wales would have a genuine fortnightly alternative service, and it would be the only Colony to which such an advantage would be given. Yet the total cost to the Colony of the three services would probably not amount to £20,000, and could not possibly exceed £25,000. It is believed the amount would not be more than £18,000. " The proposal to convey the mails from Melbourne to Sydney either by a branch steamer or by laud, will expedite rather than delay their delivery. Supposing a branch service to be adopted, the steamer could leave Hobson's Bay immediately after the arrival of the mails; and thus, delays in Hobson's Bay, which frequently occur to the mail Bteamer, would be avoided. Besides, the mail steamer will require to take in less coal upon the route. As to the outward service, New South Wales has now to close her mails at least three days before the departure of the boat from Melbourne ; but if a separate branch steamer were employed, the closing of tho mails sixty hours before the time of leaving Melbourne would suffice, and thus twelve hours for correspondence would be gained. It will also, before long, be in the power of New South Wales to have her mails conveyed by land to and from Melbourne much quicker than is possible by sea-carriage. Great objections have been urged against land carriage of the mails ; but whatever may be the case with Sydney, unquestionably the residents in country districts bordering on the line of railway will be much benefited by having their letters sent by way of Melbourne, instead of by way of Sydney. For instance, it will be a great hardship to * See letter to Hon. Mr. Parkes, copy of which haa been presented to Conference.