SATISFACTORY PROGRESS

Evening Star, Issue 22575, 17 February 1937, Page 10

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS

NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENT AND PAN-AMERICAN AIRWAYS EXPERTS NOW IN NEW ZEALAND [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, February 17. When asked to day if the statement published in Auckland that serious difficulties had arisen between the PanAmerican Airways Company and the New Zealand Government in regard to the company’s proposal to establish a flying boat service giving a three to four days’ connection between San Francisco and New Zealand were true, Mr Harold Gatty, representative of the company in New Zealand, replied that he had from the very commencement of the negotiations refrained from discussing the nature of the discussions publicly, for the company’s attitude was that it would have been improper to take any step which would unduly stir up public interest while the discussions were in progress. He repeated that the relations between himself and the Government had been consistently of a friendly nature, and he had personally been treated with the utmost courtesy. “ We have every hope that the discussions will be concluded satisfactorily very shortly how,” he said. An agreement was signed over 16 months ago, and it is perfectly correct that nearly three months ago three experts of the company arrived in New Zealand, bringing with them all the equipment necessary for the establishment of such terminal facilities as are necessary for the reception and overhaul of machines on the first flights. Those officers of the company are still in New Zealand awaiting instructions to commence their work. The position is that the company is ready and has been ready for many weeks now to commence exploratory flights down the Pacific. Had it not been for the intervention of th© Pacific maritime strike—an altogether unforeseen circumstance—the experts and all the equipment could have been here many weeks earlier.