POSTAL RATE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 49, 27 February 1935, Page 7

POSTAL RATE.

AIR MAIL SERVICES.

Intricate Problems Debated

In Sydney.

DOMINIONS AND BRITAIN.

(United P.A.—Electric Telegraph-Copyright)

(Received 10 a.m.)

SYDNEY, this day.

The New Zealand delegates to the air mail conference in Sydney, Messrs. A. Hamilton and G. McNamara, attended the Airways Exhibition, which was officially opened last night by Mr. R. A. Parkhill, Minister of Defence. The exhibition includes photographs of the England-Australia air route and models of many types of aeroplanes, especially those employed in the air mail service.

Mr. Hamilton congratulated the Commonwealth Government on the development of aviation, adding that the flight to New Zealand by SquadronLeader J. D. Hewett and Flying-Officer C. E. Kay, after competing in the Centenary air race, demonstrated the feasibility of linking up the Dominion with the great Empire air services. He paid a tribute to the pioneering work of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and the late Mr. C. T. P. Ulm in this respect.

Mr. Parkhill, who is presiding at the conference, states that if the air mail proposals of the British delegation are accepted by Australia, a 15 years' agreement, providing for revision every three years, will be sought. The Minister said •the question of the extent to which the agreement could be entered into had not vet been resolved.

The "Sydney Sun" says it is understood the Australian and New Zealand delegates still hold the view that the rate of lid an ounce, proposed by Britain, would impose a prohibitive cost on the Commonwealth and the Dominion and that a move is being made to strike a compromise rate of 2Ad. It is also understood that some delegates may suggest that flying boats be employed between Singapore and Darwin, and aeroplanes between Darwin and Sydney, as an alternative to the proposal to employ flying boats throughout.

No official statement relating to the discussions of the conference has yet boon issued, but it is believed the question of a trans-Tasman air service was considered to-day, the proposal being for a weekly service between Sydney and New Zealand.

Mr. Hamilton stated last night that the conference had been engaged in discussing many intricate problems. There were still a few Australian difficulties to be overcome, and until that was achieved it would not be possible to proceed further with a discussion of the position as it applied to New Zealand.

The outgoing English air mail, which closed last night, carried about 0000 articles, exclusive of 3000 from New Zealand.

GOVERNMENT SCHEME

Flying Boat Proposal Has Political Basis. EMPIRE MARINE AIRWAYS. 1 (Received 12.30 p.m.) LONDON, February 26. In connection with the proposal for a flying boat service from Darwin to Sydney, advanced at the Sydney conference by the British delegates, the Australian Press Association is informed that it is a Government scheme with a political background, rather than an Imperial Airways project. Flying authorities question whether the scheme has much hope of fulfilment in view of the Australian attitude, but it is emphasised that it must be regarded not as an isolated unit but as part of the comprehensive scheme of development of the Empire's marine airways. It also envisages flying boats all the way from Calcutta to New Zealand, and the scheme would synchronise with Imperial Airways plans for the construction of long-range flying boats far larger than are at present in use.