The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1889-06-04
TRANS-PACIFIC MAIL SERVICE.
The Canadian Proposals Considered by
the New South Wales Government
No Definite Action Yet Taken.

The Canadian Proposals Considered by
the New South Wales Government
No Definite Action Yet Taken.
As will be seen from the following par
( ticulars, which We abridge from the
/ Sydney Morning Herald Of May 18th,
| the proposals of the Canadian Pacific
Railway for giving a through fortnightly
mail service to Australia, contemplated
leaving out Honolulu as port OF call ;
but there does not seem much chance OF
! those proposals being accepted, without
very material alteration. The following
is the quotation above alluded to:
''The proposed course of steamers on
the Pacific would be from Vancouver to
| San Francisco, thence to Samoa and Fiji,
thence to Brisbane to deliver mails,
/ thence to sydney and Melbourne. There
could also be a line to connect at
Fiji, for the service of New Zealand
On Nav 9, 1888, Mr.. LambtOn, assistant
Postlnaster-General \. ). w, furnished
a lengthy report on the then position OF
the matter, from which the following is
an extract - 1t may, l think, be as
sumed that not only for postal but for
commercial reasons direct COmmunica-
ton with America IS desirable, but pro-
badly the Government would not consent
to maintain a line to San Francisco as
we'll as one to Canada, and the question
to be considered between this and the
expiration OF the present San Francisco
contract seems to be whetherthe COnneC-
ton with America should be made at
San Francisco, as heretofore, or at port
in British Columbia. AS regards eX-
pense, a continuance OF the present con-
nection would possibly be more ecOnon!
iCal; but there may be good reasons for
preferring the connection to be with
Canada, especially as via Canada we
could, of course, get the same COmmunl-
cations with all parts OF America, and
probably quite as rapidly; and it is, l
think, generally admitted thai now that
a regular weekly service is maintained
between Australia and Great Britain via
Suez, we in New South Wales do not
need a Pacific mail service at all so far
as concerns communication with Great
Britain-suCh a service being only neCes-
sary to maintain postal and commercial
relations with the great American CONT
nent. Whether the communicate II he
with San Francisco or with Canada, do
not think it matters for postal purposes.
With reference to the route, 1t can
readily be perceived that a branch line
to Fiji would not suit New Zealand, and
if we are to secure the cooperation of
the latter colony in a service which is
really more necessary for it than for us,
| am inclined to think it will have to be
one which includes Auckland, as at
present. Any service in which we may
secure the cooperation OF New Zealand
will ceTtrinly be a cheaper one for us
4 despatch was received on 9Th
49, Il
for New South Wales, dated the 3Oth
November, 1888, forwarding copies OF
correspondence on the subject of the
steam service between Vancouver, New
Zealand, and Australia. In this cores
pOndence it is pointed out that the New
Zealand Parliament has affirmed that a
fOrtnightly service with Great Britain
should be continued; that the Govern
ment should negotiate with Great
Britain, Canada, and New South Wales
for a Canadian service at q reasonable
price to the colony; that if negotiations
are favourable, tenders should be invited
tor a fOur-weekly and a fOrtnightly
service by direct steamers; and that all
correspondence and tenders be submitted
to the next New Zealand Parliament for
it's consideration and decision. In the
meantime if the action seemingly going
on in Canada eliminates in
any definite proposal as regards mail
communication with these colonies, OF
such a character as would be acceptable
to them, it is quite possible that a way
may be opened for the establishment OF
such communication at an early date;
but, as already said, the whole matter,
so far as the colonies are informed, is so
exceedingly indefinite that really no
opinion can be pronounced at the present
time