THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI-WEEKLY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1882.

Inangahua Times, Volume VII, Issue 1124, 1 September 1882, Page 2

THE Inangahua Times. PUBLISHED TRI- WEEKLY. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 1882.

A section in the House of Representatives, the Otago members more especially, have for some time beer agitating in favor t of a direct subsidised steam service between New Zealand and the old country, and in consequence of the action taken during the last session of Parliament, the Agent-General was communicated with, and asked to furnish data as to the ■probable cost of a fast service, suitable to postal requirements, and a slower one adapted for mercantile or immigration purposes. A most elaborate report was the result, showing the cost of both lines, and has been laid before the House, Its chief feature was to show the utter absurdity of the Colony attempting a direct postal service, which would be about ten times as expensive as the present satisfactory one via San Francisco, at the same time not so rapid and infinitely more uncertain. It was not, therefore, surprising that the Government would not endorse such an experiment, and in their proposals on the subject started with one " That it is not expedient < hat an attempt should be made for the present to establish direct steam postal service between England and New Zealand, as the large subsidy that would be required would more than counterbalance the advantages." . On. the question being deFatecTon Mfcnday last; the House at. once agreed with the. Ministerial view, aptdjihus one act of foUfclti disturbing present postal relations was averted. Xhe*second proposition of the Government that the San Francisco service should be extended for two or three years was also agreed to. The third proposal was " That it is of importance that there should be a monthly passenger and mercantile steam service established between England and New Zealand by suitable vessels," and< following on that ".'That the length of the voyage should not exceed 50 days." Few would be disinclined to disagree with these suggestions, though the suV sidy proposed by the Government, .£4:0,000 per annum, was undoubtedly too much. The House took this view of the matter, and, whilst conceding, freely the benefits of such a service, assessed the subsidy to be paid at £20,000, instead of % double the amount. As that amounts to nearly £1700 per trip, as the vessels would have all the Government carrying at ordinary rates, whether of material, immigrants or what not, and as any company might with certainty depend an invariable full outward cargoes, and, during the wool and grain seasons, th*j same for home, the amount is quite sufficient as far as we are able to judge. An attempt was made by Sir John Hall to make the proposed. service bi-monthly, but this was negatived. It was agreed that no contract should be entered into for more than three years, and it was further resolved that no contract should be given till the same had been submitted to public competition. The seventh proposal authorised the Go vernment to give effect to the resolutions on the above conditions. The Colonial Treasurer was very unhappy on the large deduction made in the subsidy, and predicted that it would have the effect of destroying the usefulness of the service. The result on the whole may be said to be very satisfactoiy. Notwithstanding Major Atkinson's dismal prognostications, we venture to say that some of the first firms in England, to say nothing about the N. Z. Shipping Company, will offer to carry out a service for the subsidy offered, with the contingent advantages that they would receive. They are uot asked to put on largo powered boats, or vessels that must necessarily be very heavy in their working ex penses. A fifty-day voyage can be compassed by even vessels of large carrying capacity, but not o$ specially high speed, whilst a monopoly of passenger traffic, and other benefits at? tached would pay handsomely on the capital invested. At the present time, tlie Orient line takes a very great number of New Zealand passengers, and those, vessels jnake splendid trips, but oven with this inducement, owing to the necessity of passengers having to reach one oi the Australian ports first, the voyagw will be as long, and far less comfortable than by one vessel proceeding dJWk The determinntipn

of the House cannot but fail to give general satisfaction. Whilst putting its foot on an extravagant and ridiculous attempt to rival the company now so successfully carrying out the postal service, it lias provided for a want which both travellers and merchants have long felt, in direct and speedy communication between the colony and the old country at reasonable freights and fares. It is to be hoped that tho Government will lose no time in exercising the powers with which they have been entrusted, and that in a few months, a line of monthly steamers may be tstablished, which cannot fail to prove of vast value to every class in New Zealand, and will promote in an extraordinary degree, intercourse between this colony and Great Britain.