EMPIRE AIR MAILS
For reasons not revealed the Australian Federal authorities have rejected the proposal &f the British Government that from next year all first-class mail matter should be carried by the Empire service on terms which would reduce the . cost to l|d per half-ounce, the rate which will apply to every other Empire country except Australia and New Zealand. In this matter New Zealand must largely depend upon the cooperation of Australia in the Empire scheme, which envisages for air postal delivery just as revolutionary an advance as did penny -postage through all services. The Federal authorities must have what they believe to be sound reasons for their decision, and New Zealand will naturally await information before expressing a final opinion, even though the first inclination may be to express regret that the unification of an Empire air mail scheme is being delayed. There will, however, be general regret that a decision of such importance should have been delivered in this point-blank fashion. Far better would it have been if the Australian judgment had been recorded from a conference of the interested parties. The holding of a conference might have resulted in the fashioning of some progressive kind of arrangement which perhaps must be made in any case. What must be kept in view is the partnership idea of the whole thing. In this present question New Zealand is in a unique position because she cannot participate in an Empire scheme without the prior co-operation of Australia. The position doubtless will be clarified before long. Probably much will be said in regard to the necessity of supporting shipping services by mail subsidies—and some British shipping in southern seas is at present facing severe handicaps. Ultimately, of course, the air services must prevail in mail delivery. The problem of the moment is to bridge fairly the period of change..
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Bibliographic details
New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22333, 3 February 1936, Page 8
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309EMPIRE AIR MAILS New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22333, 3 February 1936, Page 8
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