EMPIRE MAILS

Evening Star, Issue 22252, 1 February 1936, Page 15

EMPIRE MAILS

AUSTRALIA AND BRITAIN FEDERAL CABINET’S DECISION. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright CANBERRA, January 31. -(Received' February 1, at 1.30 a.m.) The Federal Cabinet decided that it was unable to agree to the adoption of the British Governments’ proposals that all first-class mail matter between Australia and Britain should be carried from next year by air in British machines conducting an Empire air mail service, instead 'of by subsidised shipping services/ Cabinet decided in favour of retention of Australian control of the existing service between Sydney and Singapore, and is prepared early in 1937 to introduce an. improved and accelerated bi-weekly service between Sydney to Singapore with high-speed altcraH.' COMMENT FROM LONDON DECISION CREATES SURPRISE. LONDON, January 31. (Received February 1, at 10.50 a.m.) Government quarters are astonished at the Federal Cabinet’s flat rejection of the main .principles of the Imperial air mail proposals, seeing in it a. severe check to the scheme whereby it was hoped in 1937 to produce a flat rate for air mails ■ throughout the Empire. It had been realised that opposition to unified control in the London-Sydney service, also to the use of flying boats throughout, had grown in Australia in recent months, but the uncompromising rejection was not expected. 'lt is pointed out that one consequence of the Australian decision may be that in 1937 an air mail letter can be posted anywhere in the Empire for IJd per ounce, except in Australia and New Zealand, to which, perhaps, the costs will still be in the neighbourhood of Is 3d, The air mail costs to Australia are already' more than double those in other ■ parts of the _ Empire. The British _ Government is so anxious to see a unified Empire scheme that fresh proposals may be made to Au stAiia. Another disappointing feature to Britain is that the decision holds up the direct transtasman flying boat link, to which it was ultimately hoped to connect the transpacific service. It is understood that the remainder of the 1937 scheme will proceed according to schedule, though it is uncertain whether all the flying boats ordered will now be necessary.