The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-02-10
THE AUSTRALASlAN MAIL SERVICE.
THE MAIL SERVICE WITH SAN FRAN
CISCO NOT YET OUT OF DANGER.

Writing on the new San Francisco
mail service. the Wellington CORE
spondent Of the Otago DAILY Times
received by the Iealandia to-day
saws: "From what j hear, the new
San Francisco mail service is not yet
out of danger. The owners OF the
Australia and Xealandia are deter |
mined on hard fight for the New
South Wales part of the service. An
agitation is being steadily carried on
i'm New South Wales against the new
contract with its breaks at Honolulu
(only temporarily in abcyance), and
an effort will be made to induce the
sydney Parliament to refuse to ratify
the contract, and to accept instead
the services OF the Australia and Iea-
landia on "A direct line between sgd
ney and San Francisco. hear, on
what ! have reason to think good
authority, that Messrs. Gilchrist X
Co., the agents ut sydney for the late
contractors, are prepared to submit
to the new South Wales Government
proposal for new direct San Fran
cisco service with the /Calandla and
the Australia on terms very favorable
to the colony, and that strenuous
efforts will be used to insure lts ac-
ceptance 10y the New South wales
Parliament. 1t is believed here, how
ever. that the advantages Of the
Union Companys service are so pal
pablc that it will in the end be
adopted. Should this not be the case,
the loss of the sydney subsidy and
sydney passengers and cargo would
have material effect upon the situa-
ton, and would involve a re-arrange-
ment, greatly increasing the cost to
this colony. believe, however, that
the New Zealand Postal authorities
are sanguinc of satisfactory agree
mcnt being ultimately arrived ut. |
think the cX-contractors have not II
leg to stand upon as regards their
claim to carry one more mail before
the old contract terminated"
A communication in the "Sydncy
Herald" under date of the Odd Of
December says: There are now two
lines of steamers leaving Sydney for
San Francisco, the one on the 18th
inst, the other on the 3lst. The first
NAV be called the n. :. w. Direct
Line, in SO days; the other, which
was dubbed by Melbourne contem-
porary the Nogel-cum-Spreckels'
Line, but call it for distinctions sake
the Honolulu junction Line, via
Auckland and Honolulu, in 20 days.
Neither of these is under contract.
The Honolulu junction Line calls
itself so, but it is not so.
The service to which the late Post
mastcr-General gave his consent is
bound to employ four stcamcrs-two
between San Francisco and Honolulu,
and two between Honolulu, Auck-
land and Sydney. But the service is
now being performed by three
steamers in place of four, and they
run through from Sydney, via Auck'
land and Honolulu, to San Francisco
without transhipment. The contract
therefore, to which the late Post
master-Gencral gave his provisional
consent has not been entered on et
al, and the steamers advertised a'
"Royal mail steamers" are not So
and have no right to any privilege
or payment if the contract be adhered
to. Yet it is said that the Australia
was excluded from the Fitzroy Docl
on the termination of her last voyage
under the contract, and before thu
expiring of the term OF contract, il
order to keep the dock clear for TIM
Honolulu junction steamer Just be
fore she had arrived in port
1t may be said that the deviation
from the Honolulu Junction servic
gives us better means of communi
cation; but the direct line gives us
better one still, and the deviation wa
certainly not made in the interests {
New South Wales, nor, it is presun
ed, at the request of the Postmaster
General of New South Wales, but
avowedly IA temporary measure ha'
ing two objects in view:
First, to hoodwink the people {
New South Wales as to the incor
venience of the junction service, IL
volving transhipment OF cargo an
passengers mt Honolulu, until til
New South Wales Parliament rattle
the contract, and until, secondl.
with the aid of the subsidy of $500
per annum, the Australia and Zea
andia are driven off the line. Whe
this is done, and New South Walt
has no alternative, the Honolul
junction will then come into play, Il
per contract, whether New Sout
Wales likes it or not. Under thes
circumstances, what is to be don
with the outgoing mail? Obviousl
the best thing in the interests
New South Wales is to send them /
the direct steamers.
Mr.. Norton has taught the p.
81 Company the lesson that Il
Postmaster-General of New Soul
Wales may put the mails ON the
steamer and pay mere triiie 1
them-a power which it seems Il
United States Postmaster Gener