OCEAN MAILS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2657, 12 November 1909, Page 7

OCEAN MAILS.

STATEMENT BY TIIE PREMIER

During the course Of the Financial Statement, Sir Joseph IVard made the following remarks in regard, to the ocean mail service:—

If Canada is agreeable and Australia consents I am submitting the matter by letter to the Prime Minister of Australia with a view to Auckland' being included as a iport of call. I trust that the Commonwealth may be able to agree to what would be to the advantage of Canada, Australia and Now Zealand, as a linking up of the three countries by a service of this kind must confer advantages upon all. In the meantime I have endeavored to arrange close connection with Vancouver at Fiji, but the high cost of this and the undesirability of establishing such a section if there is a possibility of the main line being diverted to Auckland may make it advisable to await the result of the negotiations now proceeding between this Dominion, Canada and Australia. But if it should not eventuate then every effort must be made to establish mail and passenger service from Auckland to San Francisco via Suva and Honolulu. I have devoted much attention to the possibility of establishing a service by New Zealand steamers between Auckland and San Francisco by way of Tahiti, only to find that without assistance* from the American Government the cost of such a service is beyond our resources. There is, -however, some reason to believe that in the next session of congress the much debated shipping subsidy Bill will become law, when the service by the American steamers will, it is practically certain,' be undertaken. At the same time I do not think we should overlook ■ the advantages to New Zealand of having a suitable service via Suez. It is deeply to be regretted that after so many years of control by the Suez Canal Comibany the obtaining of largo profits is not made paramount to a lowering of the scale of charges by which increased trade by that route would be encouraged to the great advantage of the Motherland and some of her principal oversea dependencies. I am hopeful that finally we may have the advantages to this country of regular services by the three routes, namely Vancouver, San Francisco, and Suez.