The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1907-04-02
AUSTRALIAN
MAIL SERVICE
The United States Expects to
Use the Vancouver
Steamships.

! NEW YORK. March 24.-A special &C
the Sun from Washington says: ow-
ing to the inability Of the Government
to pay subsidy in the absence OF speci-
! fic appropriations by Congress. the
Oceanic Steamship Company has noti-
/ fed the Postmaster General that on
April 9Th it viii withdraw it's steamers
now engaged in carrying mails by the
direct route from San Francisco to
New Zealand and Australia. Postmast-
ers throughout the United States have
been instructed to decline TO receive
packages addressed for delivery in the
countries named until further orders.
which will be issued as soon as other
arrangements can be made for the
transportation of such mail.
The authorities expect that contracts
viii soon be made for the carriage OF
mail to Australia and New Zealand by
steamers sailing regularly from Van,
eouver and by the roundabout way via
Liverpool or London. The postal au.
thorities declare that until Congress
authorizes a subsidy ii VIII be impos-
sible to dispatch mail by a direct route
for the long distances across the Pa.
ciic. For ONE years the ocean
Steamship Company has had the con,
tract for transporting the mails to
Australia and New Zealand. Under
the law the Government was able 10
pay not more than 81 per outward mile
for the service. Seventeen trips a year
were made.
Australia paid a subsidy. but this.
with the amount allowed by the
United States. was not sufficient TO
make the enterprise profitable. The
company threatened some time ago
that if liberal allowances were not made
it would discontinue the San Francis
co-Auckland-Sydney route. The COM
pany hoped the subsidy bill would be
enacted into law. When IL failed the
made arrangements TO go
out OF the mall transportation busi-
ness.
officials of the Postofnce Department
say the Oceanic Is the only transpOr-
tation company that has ever made
a bid on the American-Sydney con-
tracts under the law of 1891. which
limits the expenditure for the carnage
OF mail on that route To s. per out
ward nile. It was supposed when the
law was passed that competition for
the contracts would be active. The
are hopeful that the meas
ure will be passed at the next session.
v Mich viii make possible a direct mail
roufe to Australia and New Zealand.
as well as to South America.
Postoffice officials of this city stated
last night that the withdrawal OF the
Oceanic Steamship Company's steamers
would delay the mails to Australia
only few days. A dispatch is ex-
pected from Superintendent Brooks OF
The foreign mails to send all mails 10 /
Australia, Samoa and Tutuila on the
Doric, which sails March 18th This 4
steamer viii connect with the Van
,ouver steamers bound for Australia 4
At Honolulu. From Honolulu the mail 4
'or Samoa and Tutuila will be taken
% those ports on packets. Hereafter
AL mail for Australia and the South
sea 1SidnQS VIII De olNeFlen rum san
Francisco to Seattle. to be carried by
he northern steamship companies
This will continue as long as there II
10 line Of ocean steamers plying be-
ween those ports and San Francisco.
md will mean the taking away from
he local Postoffice OF an immense
mount OF business. IT has been the 4
.usfom heretofore to send all mail. ac-
umulated throughout the country for
Australia and South Sea island ports.
O san Francisco to connect with the
oceanic COmpany's vessels. but when
tucker connections could be made VIA
lorthern steamers, mail was sent
through that channel. Now all the
nail viii go north