The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-11-28
SYDNEY OPPOSITION TO THE UNION S. S
COMPANY'S CONTRACT.

1t is possible that we may not thor
Oughly understand the reasons which
have Influenced the Sydney Chamber of
! Commerce to petition their Colonial
Government not to ratify the contract
! which has been concluded between the
| New Zealand Government and the Union
Steamship Company of that Colony,
which secures an efficient mail service
! for the next three years with the United
States and England, at a comparatively
the principal reasons has been, because
! the advantages resulting from the line
will be chiefly in favor of New Zealand,
while the place given to New South
! Wales in the contract, and the benefits
! to be derived from it by her are second
airy. The transhipment of freight, mails
and passengers at Honolulu has been as
| signed as one of the principal reasons !;
we feel safe in assuring the merchants of
| Sydney that this objection will not be
raised by any intelligent person who has
seen the facilities furnished by our excel
lent wharves, tramways, sheds and ware
houses for the safe, speedy and careful
transhipment of any and all through
! freight that may be handled here. We
question whether Sydney or any other
colonial port furnishes better accomoda-
tons for more careful and speedy trans
every t1DoCrIPUIOn VI TreIgnT.
New Zealand having taken the initia-
tive and chief responsibility of the San
Francisco mail service, very properly
assumes three-fourths of the expenses,
and having asked New South Wales
to join in its maintenance, which
has been formally Endorsed and APP
proved, so far as the Government of that
colony had the authority to do, it can
hardly be expected, now that the service
has been commenced that the action of
its Government will be repudiated by
Parliament, which holds the confirming
power. The faith of the New South
Wales Government has been pledged to
the contract, so far as it was in its
power to pledge it, and the contractors,
relying on this pledge, Immediately COM
menced the service, which, but for their
prompt action, would probably have been
abandoned
When, in addition to this, we state
that all the steamships to be employed
in this mail service are unsurpassed in
modern equipments and in all their &C
commodations for passengers, as may be
Nv Of
ship :" Alameda" which carries the first
outward mail to the Colonies, and that
the contractors and owners are deter
mined to spare no expense to make their
vessels surpass in accommodation and
speed any previous line, it will be seen
that the merchants of Sydney and the
Colonial Parliament of New South Wales
cannot do better than approve the action
of their Government, and adhere to the
pledge already given. The contract is
but for three years, and if at its termi- |
nation it has been performed more salts
factorily than any previous service, it |
will rest with the two Colonies most in |
terested whether to continue or aban- /
don it..
Another point which should not be !
overlooked is, that the service now es-
tablished is the only one that is likely to
receive the assistance of the United
States Government The last Congress
voted 100000 to be paid as subsidies in
the American Foreign Mail Service. For
reasons which need nor be stated here,
this appropriation has not been ex-
pended, but there is very strong proba-
bility that portion of it will be secured
for this Australian service, inasmuch as it
combines American, as well as English
capital and ships. If the Colonies of New
Zealand and New South Wales pay fair
subsidy to sustain their end of the ser
vice, it is plausible that the American
viii share in the effort to
secure National Mail Service with Aus
5ralia. There is a fair prospect that a
subsidy of $780, 900 viii be paid to the
Oceanic line for its share in this Colonial
service, while the same line now receives
liberal subsidy of $4,000 year for
nail services from the Hawaiian Govern
nent These and other important con-
alterations strongly urge the New South
Wales Government, Parliament and
merchants to support and assist the
Union service, which has been inau- {
-urated, and WHICH we feel assured will