The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-10-26
MONDAY October 2eth
THE NEW AUSTRALIAN MAIL SERVICE.

Mr.. VIM. Center, who recently
went 10 New Zealand TO represent
the Oceanic Steamship Company in
negotiating a contract for the Aus
traIian and California mail service,
returned by the Zealandia yesterday,
having successfully accomplished the
object of his journey. He brings full
details of the negotiations, and from
that gentleman, as well as from adj
vices received by the mail, we are
enabled to present the salient points
for general information.
1t will be remembered that we in
timated that in all probability the
Union Company of New Zealand anil
the Oceanic Steamship Company
would jointly contract for the service.
This proved to be true appreciation
of the position, as was definitely an
nOunced by US on the arrival of the
Alameda on the 22d instant. But we
were wrongly advised upon one
point, which we desire to set right.
COTIUTEsCU VTIzIO UCJWeOII nOnOIuIu
and San Francisco by the Oceanic
boats is 1853 hours, not six days, or
IA hours, as stated by US. This is
precisely five hours short of the
present running time of the Oceanic
Company's boats.
We have received copy of the
contract between the Union Steam
ship Company and the New Zealand
and Sydney Governments, which
provides for twenty days service
between Auckland and San Francisco,
and twenty-five days between the
terminal ports of Sydney and San
Francisco. This is gain of one day
on the existing contract time, but the
Australia and Zealandia usually made
q gain of a day in the through Voy-
age, so that practically the service is
not greatly accelerated, although the
bonus of G5 an hour, which the con-
tract stipulates shall be paid for
shortening the schedule time, may
Induce the steamships to be run at an
Increased rate of speed.
The subsidy for the service of thir-
teen round trips each year is 100000
$3.50 ,OOo), of which New Zealand
pays twO-thirds and New South
Wales is TO pay one-third, subject to
Parliamentary sanction, which is GER
tain to be given, inasmuch as Sgd
ney is to be the Australian terminus
of the line. The Postmaster General
of the United States has also agreed
by cablegram to pay, in excess Of the
present payments for the carriage of
the United States mails, $4,000
$3.50 ,OOO) towards the Australian
mail service, unless Congress forbids;
and if such payment shall be made,
two-thirds of the amount is to be
deducted from the total payment OF
CSC, 900. The contractors are to col
lect this money, which is to be
treated as a part payment of the
Colonial subsidy; in other words,
$4,000 a year will be deducted from
the payments made by the Colonial
Governments respectively to the
Union Steamship Company under the
contract. 1t is hardly probable that
Congress, which has already appropri-
ated 500, 900 for the carriage Of ocean
mails, looking to this very service
specially, would go back upon its
own policy for so trifing a sum. The
amount is small, but it is an evidence
of good will towards the Colonies
which may prove to be of great and
enduring value in a commercial sense.
Two vessels are to be employed be-
tween San Francisco and Honolulu
and two between Honolulu, Auckland
and Sydney. One-half of the passen-
ger accommodation afforded by each
vessel running between San Fran
cisco and Honolulu is to be reserved
: for and appropriated to passengers to
and from Auckland and Sydney; and
one-half of the passenger accommO-
siation afforded by each vessel rum
ming between Honolulu, Auckland
and Sydney is to be reserved and APP
propriated to passengers to and from
each of the said Colonies respectively.