The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1907. THE ALL RED ROUTE

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2158, 14 August 1907, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 13, 1907. THE ALL RED ROUTE

The project of a fast mail route between Britain and Australia via Canada a<ud Now. Zealand is evidently not to be allowed to drop. When the matter was discussed at the Imperial Conference it was warmly advocated by the Canadian representatives and by Sir Joseph Ward. . The representatives of the British Government, though non-committal on the subject, viewed it in a lukewarm spirit, evidently having the impression that on the score of expense the scheme was impracticable. However, its discussion at the Conference brought the proposal forward in so definite a form that it beoamo for the moment one of tlie vital questions in Imperial politics, and whatever may have been tilie wish of Die Homo Government, the Canadians, at any rate, are not disposed to lot interest die dow.ii. A week ago Lord Strathcona, the Canadian High Commissioner, notified his willingness to contribute half a million towards a company having for its object tlio running of an All Red hi ail Lino.

Naturally such a proposal meets with serious opposition in some quarters. Tlio London Standard published a statement the other day to the effect that Sir Charles Dilke, M.P., is convinced that tlio proposed AH 'Red mail route between Great Britain and Australasia would bo impracticable, and that it would provide a 'summer service only by offering an alternative to the heat of the Red Sea. The Standard stated further that evidence submitted to the Government committee of inquiry into the proposal (Messrs Lloyd-George, Sydney Buxton, Winston Churchill, and Walter R-unoiman) shows that if all the first and second class passengers travelling on the Canadian route and half the third class used the All Red route, tliero would still be a loss of over £1,000,000 per year on it. However, despite these prognostications, both Sir Wilfrid Laurier and Lord Strathcona are confident that success will ultimately crown their efforts, The case from the Canadian standpoint is ably put by a Dominion journal, “Caueula,” in tlio following optimistic strain: “The Canadian route is the only possible fast route to Australia. The Suez Canal cannot compete with it, nor can, or ever will, tlio Panama route.

“With steamers of 22 knots speed —-the average speed of tlio German express steamers —Quebec would he reached in five days from Liverpool, and Vancouver in nine days from Liverpool. The distances across the Pacific and the times at 18 knots ■speed, allowing for two hours at follows:

Miles. I Suva (Fiji) ... 5,215 —l2 d. 41irs. I Auckland ... 6,229 lid. lSlirs. I Brisbane ... 6,755 —ls d. 231irs. I or from Liverpool, 21 days 4 hours, I 32 days 18 hours, or 24 days 23 hours I respectively. I “An alternative service could he I provided by fortnightly sailings from I Vancouver—the one to Brisbane via I Suva, with a branch steamer from Suva to Auckland; the other via .Suva to Auckland, with a branch steamer to Brisbane, by which arrangement both Australia and New Zealand would have a fortnightly service each way, with tile main line steamer once a month each Wav. “From Suva to Auckland is 1,014, ■and Suva to Brisbane 1,540 miles. Four main line steamers, and one. or possibly two, local steamers of smaller tonnage would be required for the Pacific and two for the Atlantic, costing some £3,000,000 sterling, and a subsidy of not less than £500,000 per annum. Such a service would place New Zealand within about three weeks and Australia 25 days of London, against, say, 30 days by the present Suez route, via Brindisi to Adelaide.

“As to Panama, the distance from Liverpool to Colon is 4030 miles —the canal 46, and from Panama to Auckland 6593, and to .Sydney 7692, or from Liverpool to Auckland 11,209, and Sydney 12,368 miles; which, ait 18 knots, plus detention of 12 horn's for the canal and 24 hours for coaling imported coal at Panama, would mean to Auckland 27 days 12 hours, and to Sydney 30 days 3 hours, nearly a week longer in point of time, and with expensive canal dues to be met. The great pull of the Canadian route lies in the fact that 3000 miles of the distance is covered by rail, and that the maximum steaming distance is 6700 miles, against over 12,000 by Panama, and nearly 9000 from Brindisi, via Suez, to Adelaide.”

This is certainly an attractive pro)osal, and in view of its immense im.ortanco to New Zealand it is to ht loped Sir Joseph AVard will not allow uterest to flag at this end.