EMPIRE AIR MAIL

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 68, 17 September 1936, Page 9

EMPIRE AIR MAIL

AUSTRALIA AGREES

EXTENSION TO N.Z.

CONFERENCE IN WELLINGTON

United Press Association—By Electric Tele- [ graph—Copyright. (Received September 17, 10.30 a.m.)] CANBERRA, This Day. The Federal Cabinet today decided to participate in the British Government' 3 proposals for linking up the Dominions in the Empire air-mail scheme. Details are not yet completed. It is believed that "there will be an extension of ,the flying-boat service to Sydney next year and' ultimately to New Zealand. ' ' ■ The Commonwealth Government will be represented by the Minister of Defence, Sir Archdale Farkhill, at a conference' in Wellington to consider the establishment of an air-mail service between Australia and New Zealand. Sir Archdale Parkhill will be accompanied by a delegation of senior officers from the, Post Office and the' Civil Aviation Department. He will sail next Saturday, and expects to be absent for about a month. The discussions between Britain and Australia on the subject of the Empire air mail have revolved around several main points, whether there should be an. overland mail in the Commonwealth or whether the mail should go round the coast by flyingboats, and what should be the position relating to a flat postage rate. Recently the "Sydney Morning Herald" stated that if the Australian Government accepted Britain's proposal to'carry all i first-class mail by flying-boat the payments by the Commonwealth would amounj to £120,000 a year, about £40,000 less than the estimate prepared last year. In' addition, Australia would have to contribute towards the cost of (creation and upkeep of the bases for the flying-boats, involving an extra ! £50,000 annually. The Australian Government, it was stated, had reached the conclusion that while revenue from the present surcharge might drop, tha amount of mail subsidy paid to shipping companies could be reduced. Tha Federal Minister of Commerce, Dr. Earle Page, on a special visit to England, decided that the surcharge system on a poundage basis would result in prohibitive cost, the amount of. money needed to send 30 tons of mails on such, a basis being greater than that needed to send all letter mails, weighing about 150 tons a year, by the other scheme. Australia wishes to have the mail carried overland from Darwin in order to maintain existing services and to secure the development of internal airports which would be useful for defence. The British Government has adhered to its plan for using flyingboats, but it is stated that Australian arguments in this connection have been given "practical consideration." The air-mail improvement scheme contemplates four, perhaps five, services weekly to India, three services weekly to Malaya and East Africa, and two services weekly to Australia and South Africa, with a possible' extension of bi-weekly services from Australia to New Zealand. . There will be a transit time of about seven days from London to Sydney. New Zealand is seeking expert advice on the question of tht trans-Tasman service.