EMPIRE AIRSHIP SERVICE.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 172, 21 July 1921, Page 5

EMPIRE AIRSHIP SERVICE.

• — THREE SCHEMES DISCUSSED. EXPERTS TO INQUIRE. CHAIN OF STATIONS. (By Cable—rress Association.— Copyright.) LONDON, July 20. The Air Ministry in a communique states the Government's policy in regard to an Imperial airship service. The Government contemplates the formation | of a company, the capital of which shall ! be controlled by British shareholders. ' the Air Ministry being represented on J the Board. j Three schemes merit consideration.' The first, proposed by Mr. A. 11. Ash- : bolt, Agent-General of Tasmania, which : bus already been published. The second has been drafted by Mr. M. N. Grcenhill. who proposes a company with a capital of £+.000,000, the Government to equip and adapt for commercial work its existing airships free of cost and to hand over all materia! free, the Government also to pay a subsidy of L.00,000 a year until the company is placed on a paying | basis. Mr. Grcenhill also proposes that the Dominions shall be asked to pay ti small subsidy when regular services are established. Both the proposals of Mr. Ashbolt and Mr. Greenhill contemplate developing routes to Egypt. India. South Africa, and Australia. A SUBSIDY NEEDED. The third scheme, submitted by Lieu-tenant-Commander Ballantyne. contemplates the operation of a service with the existing airships between England and Italy, Egypt, and South Africa. It is proposed that a company with a capital" of £-,000,000 be formed, the first issue being £1.230.000, and that the Govern-j ment shall hand over its existing malerial free of charge, and during the de- j velopmenl period shall hand over an j annual sum not exceeding (i per cent of the paid-up capital. This advance is to be repaid when the company is on a paying basis. j The conference of Prime .Ministers has appointed a technical expert committee, I under the chairmanship of the Secretary ; of State for Air, Captain F. E. Guest,' consisting of Lord Gorell, the new Under- j Secretary of State for Air; Air Marshal Sir Hugh Trenchard, Chief of the Air Staff: General Sir Frederick Sykes, Con-troller-General of Civil Aviation; Sir G. L. Barstow. representing the Treasury; Sir James Stevenson, representing the Colonial Oflice; Sir Boss Smith, representing Australia and New Zealand; Colonel .Ment/., South African Defence Minister: and representatives of Canada and India. The committee will meet! immediately and report to the conference before it breaks up. The Dominions will be asked to say what conditions they require, ami what amount they can contribute. The British Government will then decide whether to ask Parliament for a subscription. if airship communication be developed within the Empire a chain of stations will be required consisting of two or three bases and a certain number of mooring musts. l'roof must also be given that regularity equal to existing transport services can be obtained on long distance flights. TEN DAYS TO PERTH. The route from England to Australia will be considered by the committee as a basis. The committee proposes to examine every j)ba-e of the question, including primary costs, personnel, depots, depreciation, and probable financial results. When (his report is presented the conference will have before it a complete , plan for establishing an air scrvicc"*rendy | to be put into operation immediately if approved. It is likely-, however, that extensive tests will be made before the Governments enter into any commitment. One point is certain that an airship service, via South Africa, would cover the distance from London to Perth in ten days. Captain F. E. Guest, Secretary nf State for Air, replying to a question in the House of Commons, said that once a regular airship service was established it should be possible to make the journey to Melbourne and return to London in three weeks. Mr. W. M. Hughes told the Communications Committee yesterday that he was much impressed with the possibilities of the airship as a result of his inspection of the Croydon aerodrome last week-end. lie was particularly struck with the absence of all those elements of uncer- ; tainty which constituted an objection , against aeroplanes.—(A. and N.Z.) !