CARRIAGE OF MAILS BY AIR

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 94, 15 January 1936, Page 10

CARRIAGE OF MAILS BY AIR

One Sendee Popular

GOVERNMENT POLICY NOT

YET DEFINED

No arrangements have yet been made for the carriage of mails by aeroplane between the North and South Islands, though the question of internal air mails is at present receiving the attention of the Government. There has been some discussion concerning the carriage of air mail between Palmerston North and Dunedin by Union Airways Ltd. and on the service connecting Wellington, Blenheim and Nelson by Cook Strait Airways, but policy on the subject of air mail contracts has not been decided by the Government. "The question as to whether air services will be utilised for the carriage of mails will have to be decided by the Government,” remarked the Hon. F. Jones, Postmaster-General, ’ in an interview o n the subject. “J cannot say what the attitude of the Government will be. If in a year we are receiving mails from the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States direct by air, the question of internal air mails will naturally assume considerable importance. Public Support Needed. “I should say that our first duly is to ascertain whether there is a reasonable public demand for the carriage of correspondence by air, and whether there will be sufficient business people and others to pay the surcharge on letters which may be required to operate air mail services on a profitable basis. If commercial aircraft are used to carry mails, the companies operating them will expect and will be entitled to a mail subsidy; and in some instances there will be the extra expense of transporting mails to and from aerodromes which are situated at fairly considerable distances from the post offices. “The costs of operating air mail services are heavy, and although it would obviously be an advantage to have mails between Auckland and Dunedin delivered in a day we must Be certain that the public will pay fot such a privilege.” I Saving In Time. A great saving in time would be made by air carriage of mails between the North and South Island. In Wellington mails could be ported in time to connect with the Cook Strait Airways machine from Wellington bo Blenheim in the morning and at Blenheim transhipment tvould be made so that mails for Christchurch and Dunedin would be delivered within a few hours of leaving Wellington. On the northward journey letters posted in Dunedin in the late morning, and in Christchurch in the eariy afternoon, would be delivered the same afternoon in Wellington, being transhipped at Blenheim. Between Auckland and the South Island there would also be a substantial saving. Letters posted in Auckland in the evening would reach Palmerston North by train next morning in time to connect with the south-bound airliner, and would be delivered that afternoon in Dunedin. North-bound mail would leave Dunedin about midday, arrive at Palmerston North iu time to connect with the afternoon express from Wellington, and be delivered the following morning in Auckland.

Between Wellington and Blenheim and Wellington and Nelson transport of mails would be accomplished in a fraction of the lime taken by -surface transport. On present schedule the planes fly from 'Wellington to Blenheim in under half an hour, and from Wellington to Nelson in just under an hour, with a landing at Blenheim. Cook Strait Airways Ltd. has applied for tjie right to carry mails, but mis received no definite answer from the Government. A Successful Service. From to-morrow, four air services will be operating on regular schedule in New Zealand—Air.Travel, N.Z. Ltd., between Hokitika and Okum, East Coast. Airways Ltd., between Napier and Gisborne, Cook Strait Airways, covering Wellingtifti-Blenheim-Nelsofl, and Union Airways Ltd., covering Palmerston North-Blenheim-Christchurch am] Dunedin.

The only one which at present carries mails is that of Air Travel, N.Z., JlLtd. There the service has been widely supported, because of the great'saving in time. Over South Westland the aerofflane reduces to hours the delivery of mails which previously took days, when letters had to be transported part of the way on pack horses. . The service has now been in operation for a year, and its convenience is illustrated by the increasing use made of it. In the first quarter-18411b. of mail was carried. In the second this increased to 35271 b. In the third quaiter this grew again to 42311 b., and for the last three months the load has increased to 51901 b. In freight carriage there has been a similar increase in business, for whereas the cargo load in the first three months was 26371 b. it was 46891 b. in the last quarter. Attempts to establish air mails on a systematic basis were made in New Zealand as long ago as 1921, when regular services were run for some weeks between Christchurch and ’I imam, calling at Ashburton. by. Hie Canterbury Aviation Co., Ltd., and between Auckland and Whangarei, by Walsh Bros, and Dexter, Ltd., the firm which conducted the New Zealand Flying School. Both services were run with machines of war-time make converted to civil use and were maintained to schedule except for a few days on which there was exceptionally bad weather.

The opinion of Hie authorities was that the saving in lime over such comparatively short distances did not encourage the use of Hie service at the extra charges which were made for air carriage in those days, and that the charges could not be reduced as th? machines were really unsuitable for the task, On some days very small mails were carried and on occasion no letters at all. The extra charge was 6d. a letter on the Tiniaru-Christ-ohurch service and -Id. a letter for Auckland-Wha ngaroi. N owa day s, ol course, machines are much more suitable to the task and charges would not be so high. SCHEDULE INTERRUPTED Cook Strait Service

Despite the unsuitable weather, marked by low and thick cloud with poor visibility, the service of Cook

Strait Airjvays has been maintained over the past two’days with only one interruption involving the elimination of a connection between, Blenheim and Nelson.

On Monday the service was maintained to schedule, although in Hie late afternoon there was low cloud accompanied by driving rain near Wellington. Yesterday there was even heavier rain and even thicker cloud, especially over the hill country betwrcji Nelson and Blenheim.

The southward plane should have loft Wellington at 10.20 a.in. for Nelson and leu Nelson at 1.45 p.m. for Wellington, via Blenheim. The cloud was thick and low between Nelson and Blenheim, however, and because of conditions it was decided not • to take any risk whatever with passengers, though flights could probably hare been made on the blind flying instruments with which each machine is,fitted. Flights were therefore made io Blenheim from Wellington and back to Wellington instead of to and from Nelson. The afternoon journey from Wellington to Nelson via Blenheim was made as usual. Officials of the company stated when approached that the schedule of trips was altered not of necessity but of desirability, on the principle of “safety at all times.” It was emphasised that such interruptions in the service, even though minor, would be eliminated when the direction finding ground stations for the assistance of pilots were in operation, probably in April.