TASMAN SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 49, 26 August 1938, Page 10

TASMAN SERVICE

CENTRAL TERMINAL

WELLINGTON'S CLAIMS

FIRST PORT OF CALL

Subject to the views which might be; held by the experts who are advising the Government upon the suitability of the harbour as a flyingboat base Wellington has definite advantages on account of its central position as the terminal for the transTasman air service, said the Mayor (Mr. T. C. A. Hislop) today. "I had the pleasure on two occasions of leading^deputations representirf, the City Council the Harbour Board, and the Chamber of Commerce to the Government on these matters," Mr. Hislop added. "And I am glad ,to see that it has apparently been decided that Wellington is to be one of the terminal points. "I was very surprised to read, however, that the service will not come to Wellington until certain work is done here on mooring facilities. It is remarkable that it should have been left until this late hour to raise that question. : "Apparently the Department gave all the necessary information to the Auckland Harbour Board, but it is surprising that similar information was not given to the Wellington Harbour Board, so that it could have made all the necessary arrangements for the same facilities that are in Auckland to have been made available in Wellington. Assuming that the action in delaying to give information was not intentional, then it shows a lack of efficiency in the Department concerned. "Obviously, if the Department'! view, as it appears to be, is that it is desirable that, the service should be between Sydney and Auckland and Wellington, and between Wellington and Sydney and Auckland, or' vice versa, then one would assume that the necessary preparations would have been arranged in order that the service could at the start have operated on the course indicated as best. "One is unable to comment in full on the proposal without knowledge of the proposed time-table," said Mr. Hislop, "but if the flying-boat is to arrive at Auckland and not come on to Wellington until after the lapse of any considerable length of time, then the advantage of central distribution is obviously impaired. "It would appear, if Wellington is suitable as a terminal, that the advantages of central distribution are best served by making Wellington the first port of call," Mr. Hislop added.