AIR MAIL CHAOS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 138, 14 June 1938, Page 10

AIR MAIL CHAOS.

EVASIVE MINISTER,

AUSTRALIAN CRITICISM.

AN INQUIRY SUGGESTED. (From Our Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 9.At Canberra last Tuesday the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Curtin, moved the adjournment of the House to discuss the new Imperial flying boat mail service and the distribution of mails. Mr. Thorby, who ae Minister of Defence has control of the service, however, refused to disclose any of the details of the air mail agreement. So far back as May, 1937, it was officially announced that an agreement with Britain and Imperial Airways had been reached, and that the service would start probably in January, 1935. But nothing has happened yet, and though the country has been -given, to understand that the flying boat service can start next month (July), the situation is so clouded with uncertainty that newspapers as well as politicians of all parties are displaying pronounced hostility on this -subject toward the Minister and the Federal Government. Minister Taken to Task. The "Sydney Morning Herald," in which an editorial entitled "Air Mail Chaos" has severely chastised Mr. Thorby, has made a valiant attempt to" let in some light on the prevalent confusion. Admitting that members of Parliament, . after listening to Mr. Thorby, knew no more than before, and that "the position is as obscure as ever," the "Herald" attempts to classify under several heads the difficulties which members of Parliament are facing, and the questions to which, quite unsuccessfully, they have been endeavouring to secure replies.

The main question which interests both politicians and public is this: —How soon after the flying-boat service begins will London air mails be distributed throughout Australia by air? Mr. Thorby has so far evaded all attempts to extract definite information from him on this point. All he will say -is that the Government will make the necessary arrangements "as soon as practicable," while his contemptuous reference to the "mania for speed," with which he has tried, to deprecate criticism, denotes, in the opinion of the "Sydney Morning Herald" a complete lack of sympathy with the aerial transport of mails. But it is by this time abundantly clear that the local distributing systems will not be ready to take up their duties "by the time that the flying-boat services start, and in the opinion of the "Sydney Mo-ning Herald" and the "Sun" and other leading journals, this failure has been due directly to the unbusinesslike procrastination of which .the Federal authorities have "been guilty.

As a consequence, it will be impossible to distribute the mails throughout Australia from Darwin originally intended. They are to be sent on to Sydney temporarily, till the various State networks are in a position to take up distribution, for which they have not yet been able to make arrangements, because the Minister simply refused to explain to them' the necessary arrangements in time. A Special Surcharge? The material result will be that South Australia and West Australia will have to wait behind the eastern States for the receipt of their British mail, and apparently also have to pay a special surcharge for their ultimate delivery. Nothing could be better calculated to foment discontent in the States not directly benefited'' by this change of plan or to encourage their latent hostility against the domination of the east.

But this matter of 8 surcharge is in itself one of the deepest mysteries in the problem. The "Sydney Morning Herald" points out that the public mind is much exercised just now over two other questions: Will a surcharge be imposed for internal distribution by air of London mail? And, .if so, will this surcharge be "payable in London or by the Australian recipient of the mail? Here again Mr. Thorby simply declined to give any intelligible information.

Mr. Thorby is either unwilling or unable to say definitely which of the two alternatives the Federal Government will adopt. A few facts emerge with relative distinctness out of this chaotic confusion—the flying boat service will start on July 5j all firstclass London mail matter will reach

Sydney by air free of surcharge; outgoing London air mail matter will be subject to the usual internal rate of surcharge. But by what' means and at what. cost to the public oversea air mail is to "be distributed to the .various Australian States—Mr. Thorby does not know, or, if he does know, he will not say. . "A Complete . Mess." . On the whole, an impartial -presentment of the fact appears lo justify fully the scathing condemnation of the "Sun," which holds that "the combined genius of the Post Office and the Defence Department appears to have made a very complete mess" of the whole scheme. Even more - impressive is the criticism of the "Sydney Morning Herald," which, after forcibly denouncing Mr. Thorby's obstinate procrastination and the supercilious petulance with which he has attempted to ward off legitimate .criticism, warns the Government that the Minister of Defence has given positive proof that he cannot adminster the affairs of the Aviation Department as well as his own, and that "the blame for the confusion and mismanagement" which have resulted from his attempt at this impossible feat | must be laid at the door of the Prime Minister as well. | To-day the matter of the air mail agreement came up again in Parliament and Mr. Thorby again attempted to I defend Qnmself and the Federal Government against the questions and the criticism showered upon him from all sides. To summarise the situation as it appeals to the average citizen or elector here, . I can'harcfly do better than quote certain

passages from the editorial in which the. "Sydney Morning. Herald"—usually a moderate and lenient critic of the Government, reviewed the question. Every Inquiry Rebuffed. "Nothing could be worse than the showing of the Minister" for Defence and of the Government in the confusion over the commencement of the flying-boat air mails. In every detail of preparation for performance, the Government has so. procrastinated as to irnJuce the suspicion that it does not want the agreement to operate. The difficulties in the way of introducing .the new service are manifold, and the chief of them fairly obvious; public disposition has been to allow the Government latitude on that score, but in return the Government has rebuffed every inquiry, exhibited an indifference and an inertia that have become scandalous and professed that every exigency was of somebody else's making." "The Herald" denounces as "inept and provocative" any suggestion that mails delivered to other addresses than Brisbane and Sydney—the first direct route —should bear a surcharge—it should be regarded as "morally offensive" and politically suicidal." Maintaining that the past neglect and refusal to begin work on the imperative ground services, simply baffle every apologist, the editorial concludes with an appeal for a Committee of Inquiry whose report 6houldJ be available for the enlightenment of Parliament'and for its action at the earliest possible moment.