A TRANS-TASMAN AIR SERVICE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21534, 25 July 1935, Page 12

A TRANS-TASMAN AIR SERVICE

j $ ' NEW ZEALAND SUBSIDY OF £40,000 PLANS OF SIR CHARLES KIN G SFOK D-SMITII (FBBSS ASSOCtATTOS XEI.ECi.AJi.} WELLINGTON, July 24. Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, the famous airman, met Cabinet Ministers at Parliament House to-day, and submitted to the Government of New Zealand his proposals for the inauguration of a regular transTasman service. Although full-details of the scheme were not disclosed officially after the conference, it is understood that Sir Charles suggested that a bi-wecKiy service should be established at a total subsidy cost of £BO,OOO a year to the Australian and New Zealand Governments on a 50-50 basis. That is to say, the New Zealand Government would pay £ 40,000, it having been contended that there was little difference between the amounts of mail at present transported across the Tasman. The service proposed, however, would be confined at first' to air transport of first-class mail, the postal-charges to be determined by the Government. As to the quantity of mail likely to be carried in the early stages of the service, it was explained that the proposal, was to carry four tons of mail a week. It is said that an alternative service, somewhat modified. wouid involve a payment of a subsidy of £30,000 a year by the New Zealand Government.. As far as can be ascertained, S:r Charles Kingsford-Smith also suggested that the company he represented, if its proposals were accepted, should be given protection for a period of five years. Questioned after the conference, the Acting-Prime Minister (the Hon. ' Sir Alfred Ransom) said the Cabinet, after hearing Sir Charles Kings-ford-Smith's full proposals in detail, assured him that the scheme would be given consideration without due delay. It would be necessary, however, to communicate with both the Australian and British Governments, as all were concerned in the future development of Imperial air services. When that had been done, the Cabinet's decision would be forwarded to Sir Charles before his arrival in England.

EARLY DELIVERY OF MACHINES '

AIRMAN'S STATEMENT DEPARTURE BY MONTEREY ON SATURDAY If the Australian and New Zealand Governments agreed to subsidise a flying-boat service across the Tasman, the Sikorsky company could deliver two of the huge boats in seven months, Sir Charles Kings-ford-Smith told a reporter of "The Press" by telephone last evening. During those seven months it would be possible to make all the other preparations for the service, and it could begin as soon as the boats arrived. Auckland, lie said, had been chosen as the terminal of the service, if .flying-boats Were used because it would be the naturally linking-up point for other services including the one from the United States, in which Pan-American Airways is interested. Sir Charles said that he knew no details of the proposed American service, but he did know that Pan-American ways were eager to extend in the Pacific as rapidly as possible. Sir Charles and Mr B, Sheil, another director of the Ti'ans-Tasman Air Service Development Company, will fly to New Plymouth this afternoon, and on to Auckland on Friday morning. In Auckland Sir Charles will discuss the of Great Pacific Airways (N.Z.), Ltd., with which he is associated, with Mr Trevor S. Withers. On Saturday he will leave by the Monterey for the United States, where he will collect his Lockheed. Lady Southern Cross, and go to England, flying back from there to Australia.

RONGOTAI AERODROME

FAMOUS AIRMAN'S OPINION (il:rs r, ASSOCIATION- TELEGRAi:.) ■WELLINGTON. July 24. Referring to the recent improvements at the Rongotai Aerodrome, Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith, at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon today, said a recent inspection liad convinced him that Wellington already had a ground which compared favourably with other airports in New Zealand. The meteorological disadvantages could be largely met by carrying out suitable improvements. He had gone into the question very carefully, because his opinion naturally was regarded a.s carrying weight. He could definitely say that from data he received from airmen and from meteorological records, the necessity for an auxiliary landing place would arise on only some 5 per cent, of the trips made. He was pleased to Ic-arn that arrangements already were being made for the provision of an alternative landing-ground in the Paekakariki district.

Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith remarked that a cit> r of the size and importance of Wellington could not reasonably be omitted from any regular trunk service. Such a thing would be ridiculous. Wellington was the centre of the Dominion and it was obvious that it must be included in any trunk service.