AIRMAN EXPLAINS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 255, 25 July 1935, Page 10

AIRMAN EXPLAINS

Substantial Capital

Involved

AUSTRALIA’S ATTITUDE

"We have put our proposals before the Australian Government and they have been extremely well received. Australia's attitude is: ‘lf New Zealand says “Yes.” then we will',” stated Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce luncheon yesterday. “We are asking for £40,900 from New Zealand and. the same from the Australian Government, and when you figure out that each unit will cost, without duty. £72,000, and that our ground organisation and incidentals connected with such a service will necessitate a capital of about a. quarter of a million pounds, and the operating charges well over £lOO.OOO jier year, the subsidy we arc asking, a total of £BO.OOO, i.s not unreasonable, nor has it been called unreasonable by the authorities,” lie continued. "A total of 2100 pounds of letters is sent from Australia to New Zealand weekly, and 2000 pounds from. New Zealand, excluding that which passes through' Australia,” Sir Charles said. “Our service will be operated twice a week, on Tuesdays and Fridays, each way.” The crossing would take nine hours with flying-boats or eight hours with land planes. The difficulties had been more or less overcome by the equipment now available which could ojierate the route without risk of loss of life or mail. Although the fare would be £25 as against £1- or £l4 by steamer, the surface fare was swelled by various extras; and the air fare would be for a nine-hour crossing as against four days. His estimate of revenue had been based upon the supposition that 50 per cent, of the passenger seats would be occupied, but lie hail been assured by business mon and travelling representatives in Australia that if a safe service were established it would be used.

“An air service is promised us for 1937, but I have ventured to look a. little’ bit ahead of that ami to say that the time is rijte now for its tQ have a service between these two outposts of Empire. “I have been accused, but not to my face, of being a.nti-British and proAmerican,” continued Sir Charles. “It is an absolute lie, and had I been proAmerican I could, six years ago, have accepted tin offer from America, and become an American citizen, with much greater prolit to myself than by not accepting. “The fact is that there are not yet developed British aircraft suitable for this work. That is no disgrace to the British Empire. England lias been handicapped in Ibis regard, in that her requirements are infinitely difterent from those of America, which has gretit land distances and water distances, and therefore American manufacturers have been led to construct a type of aircraft peculiarly suited for such conditions. It so happens that precisely those conditions apply also to the Tasman.

“All things being equal, everybody would purchase British plant, but things are not equal. 1 am a tremendous admirer of lhe Americans, although 1 am a good' Britisher: they produce what are, in my opinion, without doubt the finest long-distance aircraft in the world to-day, ami we can do the same when our requirements call for it: but is it fair that we should be told to stand aside and wait three or four vears until those machines can be developed? I suggest that it is not unpatriotic to use what somebody else has produced if it is the best where the best is to be used. “I do beg of yon to give this matter a. little thought.” coni limed Sir Charles. “I will not even suggest that you say Kingsford Smith should get the service, but that it should be a company owned and organised in Australia and New Zealand.”