INLAND AIR MAIL SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 139, 7 March 1936, Page 11

INLAND AIR MAIL SERVICES

Schemes Approved TRANSIT CHARGE OF 2d. FOR EACH OUNCE Early inauguration of a mail service by air connecting a number of centres in the Dominion was announced yesterday by the Postmaster-General, Hon. F. Jones. He said that Hie Government had approved his proposal that the services of two companies be utilised for the purpose on the following routes; — Union Airways: Palmerston North - Blenheim - Christchurch - Dunedin, and vice versa. Cook Strait Airways: Welling-ton-Blenheim-Nelson. and vice

versa. “At this stage of development,” said the Minister, “we may regard the coming service as providing a means for testing demands for accelerated transit of correspondence, and progress in the future must largely depend on the extent to which the public utilise the new service. The Post Oflice has in the past fully kept pace with advances in transport facilities, and it has provided, within the limits imposed upon it in this respect, a wonderfully efficient service at very low postage rates. The use of aeroplanes imposes a considerable additional expense on the department ; therefore, it is proposed to make a special rate for air-mail transit of 2d. for each ounce. This will, of course, include the ordinary postage. I have been strongly impressed with the representations made to me regarding the importance of quicker transit of correspondence between the various centres of the Dominion, and I feel sure that the new system will prove of such great value in the saving of time that the slight additional charge will be regarded as fully justified. “The new air-mail scheme will be of particular value in giving quicker communcation between the extreme points of the Dominion. For instance, the saving in time in transmitting correspondence from Auckland to Christchurch will be 20 hours; to Dunedin, 27 hours, and to Invercargill, 24 hours. Mails from Auckland will be forwarded daily by express trains to Palmerston North, where they will be transhipped to the Union Airways planes for transport to points in the South Island. “These are extreme examples, but there will be a great deal of time saved in communications between a large number of other important centres, and these details are being worked out by the Post Office, which has had to organise a completely new service to take full advantage of the air routes. “The Post Office will give through newspapers full details of the new service and indicate what action will be necessary on the part of those who wish to use the new method of transportation of mails. “It is not yet practicable to make use of the service of East Coast Airways. The new service will begin on Monday, March 16. nnd the position will be reviewed at. the end of three months, by which time the results will disclose how the public regard the service and whether it should be continued.’’