AIR MAILS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 7, 8 July 1938, Page 10

AIR MAILS

POINTS IN DOUBT

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE INQUIRIES

BOAT CONNECTIONS

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has, through its transport committee, continued inquiries as to the details of the air mail and air service across the Tasman, but there are still a good many points in doubt, said Captain S. S. Hdlm, vice-president of the chamber and a member of the transport committee, today.

The whole question was discussed at the last meeting of the committee, he said, and though members considered that there were points in doubt and others with which they were not satisfied they thought it not wise to make any detailed comment or criticism at the moment.

Concern had been expressed in the past over the frequent occasions when air mails had missed steamship connections, arid on account of the withdrawal of the Awatea from the summer time-table the position appeared likely to arise again. Officials of the Union Steam Ship Company had therefore been approached and had given an assurance that arrangements would be made for the running of three trips during the 28-day periods, as compared with two trips in previous winter time-tables.

The Chief Postmaster had also given the committee an assurance that every opportunity would be taken to dispatch mails by every available sailing, by cargo vessels as well as the regular passenger boats, and as the air mail to and from Australia would now be a thrice-weekly service the piling up of air mails in • Sydney should" not be so serious as had been so in the past. The chamber was not altogether satisfied with the service as now proposed, and "Had been unable to obtain as definite information as it desired upon points of detail, but it was the opinion of the committee that it should not discuss the scheme in detail.^until a sufficient period had elapsed to enable anomalies to be removed.

"The plain fact of ' the matter is that no Empire air mail service can be considered at all satisfactory to New Zealand until the service is extended across the Tasman," said Captain Holm. "The chamber has never wavered from its firm opinion tnat Wellington is the most suitable point for the rapid distribution of air mails from overseas, and has had no reason whatever to change its opinion that Wellington harbour offers landing and handling facilities second to none in Australia or New Zealad."