PACIFIC FLIGHT

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 152, 24 March 1937, Page 7

PACIFIC FLIGHT

Completion Unlikely Until

After Easter

SECOND STAGE TO-DAY By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, March 23. "The survey clipper is taking off from Honolulu in the morning to survey the Kingman Reef route, but it seems highly improbable that she will go further than Kingman Reef until after the Easter holidays,” said Mr. Harold Gatty, after receiving advice from the United States by wireless late to-night. "Our main difficulty lies in the fact that we cannot get full weather reports from the islands and the various centres needed owing to the holidays.

WELLINGTON VISIT

Luncheon to Captain and Crew Proposed

lu the event of the Pan-American Airways’ survey plane visiting Wellington, and assuming the proposal is acceptable to Captain E. Musick, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce intends to give a luncheon in honour of the members of the crew. A-decision to this effect was reached by the council of the chamber at its meeting last night. Mr. M. G. C. McCaul said Hie visit of the clipper to New Zealand was an epoch-making event, and the New Zealand Government and Pan-American Airways were to be congratulated on the agreement that had been made. The establishment of a service from America would open the door for a flood of wealthy American tourists and business men to whom time was precious. New Zealand would obtain great benefit from the service from a tourist point of view alone. No doubt the fare would be expensive, but time meant more to many of these people than money.

Assuming the tariff for the carriage of mails was reasonable New Zealand business men would be able to land correspondence in San Francisco in four days. Letters dispatched by that route would be able to reach Great Britain more quickly than at present by the Australia-England air-mail service. The visit of the clipper should be celebrated, and there was no more fitting way than by a luncheon. Agreement with the views of Mr. McCaul was expressed by Mr. J. T. Martin. Other members of the council said that the occasion was an important one and that the council should celebrate it. The chamber should have present at the luncheon representatives of the harbour board and the civic authorities, and do everything to make the occasion a success. Arrangements should also be made for the attendance of some of the Ministers of the Crown. The president, Mr. C. J. B. Norwood, said all were agreed that the development was an important one from a commercial point of view, and that the chamber should give it its support. The secretary, Mr. E. M. Bardsley, said he had been in touch with Mr. Harold Gatty, at Auckland, but it would be necessary to await the arrival of the clipper before anything definite could be arranged. Mr. Gatty thought the clipper might visit Wellington on Tuesday or Wednesday next, but until the arrival of Captain Musick it was not definite whether the clipper would visit Wellington or not. "The whole thing is in the lap of the gods until the arrival of the clipper,” he said.

TASMAN SERVICE

Gatty Stresses Importance

By Telegraph—Press Association. Auckland, March 23. The importance of a trans-Tasman air service as a final link in the round-the-world chain was emphasised, by Mr. Harold Gatty, New Zealand representative of Pan-American Airways, in an interview to-day. ‘‘lt was never intended by Pan-Am-erican Airways to run from, the United States to Australia,” said Mr. Gatty. “On my first visit to New Zealand I made that abundantly plain. . “At that time the late Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith and others were interested in a trans-Tasman service. There was a great deal of interest in the project and Pan-American Airways announced then that it was not planning to cross the Tasman. Such a proposal. -would have created ill-feeling among those who were pioneering the Tasman link.”

“From the commencement of planning and during all negotiations Auckland has always been definitely stated to be the terminal as far as Pan-Am-erican Airways is concerned. This was logical as it would be a service that could tie in with the projected service between Australia and New Zealand. The position at that time is the position to-day. The inauguration of a service from the United States to New Zealand will be of inestimable benefit to any British trans-Tasman service and will provide planes that cross the Tasman with the major portion of their traffic.”