AIRSHIP SCHEME.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17451, 11 May 1922, Page 7

AIRSHIP SCHEME.

SERVICES TO INDIA AND

AUSTRALIA

COMMANDER BURNEY'S

PROPOSAL.

(®. T —Press Assovut-io;'. —v ' 1 a) M'.vi N.Z Oibio Axioc; .) (Received May 10t!i, S.l."i p.m.* LOXIHIX. May i». Members ot tlie indict rial u'roiip of tile llouso of Commons di.>cu>>ed Commander Barney's schema of airship services to India and Australia Mr A. H. Ashbolt, Agent-General for Tasmania, explained the Imperial aspects of the scheme, intimating that Australia was probably prepared to vole a subsidy of £loo,Uoo a year, thou-ii this had not been definitely settled. Commander Burney also explained his proposals and urged the desirability of tho country being able to eall on the services of a tleet of unships in ease of war to co-operate with submarines. The meeting passed a resolution to send a deputation to the Committee of Imperial Defence ii> order to urge the commercial possibilities and military advautage* of Commander lUuuey's scheme 111 March delinite proposals uvu* made to the Government tor their consideration and for submission tu the Governments of India and Australia by a syndicate consisting of Yickers, Liniiteil, tho Shell Company, and Commander Burney, 11.N. —who will be remembered in connexion with the paravane—lor the taking ovor of the Airship Fleet and material with tho dual object of running it as a commercial undertaking and providing a nucleus upon which an airship service could bo rapidly provided in tho event of war. The commercial object to bo attained is a mail and passenger service as follows : Bombay ... 5J days (now 17 days), ltangoop .... 7J days (now 22 days). Hong lvong 8J days (now 4 to 5 weeks). Australia 11* days (now 4to 5 weeks). From tho naval point of view the idea is to develop a service with trained crows, bases, ships, and technical knowledge, all of which could bo taken over on tho outbreak of war. For theso purposes tho Syndicate proposes that the Government shuuld trunsfpr to it } free of cost ; all airships, airship' material and airship bases, and should supply wirebss and meteorological services. In this event a company will bo formed, haviug available a capital of £4,000,000, of which sum £1,800,000 will bo in ordinary shares and £'2,200,000 in debentures, for the purpose of establishing a mail and passenger service to India- and Australia, subject to the Imperial Government arranging by means of a subsidy u guarantee of dividend and interest for a, period of years—as regards tho ordinary shares 6 per cent, (free of income tax) for 10 years, and as regards tho debentures 4i per cent, (free of income tax) until redemption. This guarantee or subsidy would be of a contingent nature, and would amount to £171,000 per annum, which tho Syndicate proposes should l>e divided between the countries obtaining the benefit of the service as follows: —Great Britain £91,000, Australia £40,000, India £40,000. Theso payments would cease as soon as tho profits from the company were sufficient to cover them. The Syndicate does not propose to utilise the present Government airships —if it obtains them—for purposes other I than training and short voyages. For the long routes they will construct a new typo embodying all the latest improvements, nnd capable of carrying 100 passengers and eight to ten tons of mails. These ships will complete the voyage to India with only one stop, and that to Australia with three stops.