The Hawaiian gazette., 1875-02-10
The australian Mail service.

The Sydney Herald, of January 18th says
The present mail, by way of San Francisco.
is the first under fresh contract of short dur
alton, which the Government has made for the
purpose of keeping the line open. Under the
contract with Mr.. Hall, the permanent service
should have commenced in the month of Feb
ruary, but as no vessel is known to have left
England to take up her station on the line, the
presumption is that the contractors intend To
make default. To keep up the continuity of
the service, therefore, the Government have
made arrangements with the Australian Steam
Navigation Company to keep the line going for
the next seven months, and during that period
it is hoped that some permanent decision NAV
be arrived at. We have still to complain of
the frequent late delivery of letters at San
Francisco from England. The steamer is re-
peatedly detained three or four days from this
cause, and it seems difficult to understand how
accidental causes can operate with such un-
deviating regularity as they seem to do. The
Government of New Zealand is in accord with
that of this colony, and the present temporary
service is carried on at the joint cost of the
two colonies. There is no branch line to New
Zealand, but the steamers call at Auckland
both ways, and for the present FIJI is therefore
left ont of the route"
The new contract is to extend over period
OF seven months, and the mails will be carried
during that time by the steamships Mikado,
City of Melbourne, Macgregor, and Cyphrenes.
The first two named vessels have demonstrated
their ability TO give course of post equal to
anything that has been accomplished between
Sydney and London; but while so much de
ponds upon the Home Government we can
hardly expect that punctuality which ought TO
characterize all mail services. For the pres
ent there will be no connection with Fiji, the
only intermediate ports of call being Auckland
and Honolulu. Nothing has transpired as TO
what is intended relative to the permanent
contract. 1t may be that the statement in the |
New Zealand papers regarding Mr.. Russell's |
trip home to secure the purchase of the boats
ordered by Hall is correct. Even if this
should be confirmed, it is likely that the new
steamers will start from Sydney and Auckland
a correspondent of the same paper saws
" From letters received during the past month
from London correspondents, l am advised
that company could readily and Immediately
be formed, with capital of 100000, and
having four first-class steamships of 5000 tons
register, fully qualified in every respect for
performing the service efficiently and within
the present contract time between Sydney,
Auckland, Honolulu, and San Francisco. back
wards and forwards, on the basis of contract
extending over a term of seven years. for
subsidy of 10000, but with the proviso that
being unable with this subsidy to return their
dividend of per cent. per an
lum, the Government to guarantee the same,
md which, in the event of their paying, would
make total subsidy of fs8,OOO per annum.
Dur Government, having these facts before
hem, will recognize the responsibility of
ully ventilatiRg the subject before pledging !
he colony to any further contract"
A meeting of all interested in the establish
nent of steam between Australia and San
francisco has been called to meet in London
his month, and the friends of the enterprise |
re sanguine that the result will be favorable :
D the organization of a new and efficient COM +
any during the present year. There certain B
never was more promising field for capital u
nd enterprise l