FINE WORK BY AIR FORCE

Evening Star, Issue 25396, 30 January 1945, Page 7

FINE WORK BY AIR FORCE

A return showing the scope of the services rendered by the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the recent sectional railway hold-up was made available to-night by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser. One hundred and eight flights were made, and in all 30,638 miles were flown. The passengers carried totalled 1,415, and the mail carried amounted to 24,9331 b. The passenger miles totalled 398,358, and 2,771 mail ton miles were flown.

Mr Eraser expressed the thanks of the Government and the country to the Officers and men of the Air Force, who had organised and operated the passenger and mail* services' between Auckland and Wellington, and on the Auck-land-Gisborue-Wellington •■ route, as well as the mail services throughtdut the Auckland area. They did fine work for the passengers directly affected by the various railway stoppages, the prime Minister said, and for people living in many localities whose mail would otherwise have been held up. It was a fine job in both organisation and,operation, and all the officers and ranks concerned were entitled to the highest appreciation. "I would also like to thank the Army for its very complete organisation to meet any emergency in regard to the transportation of essential commodities required for both war and civilian purposes ■ which: might have arisen through the prolongation or extension of the trouble," said Mr Eraser. " Fortunately,- the general co-operation of the transport organisations, both workers and employers,'and'the general loyalty of the , railwaymen as a Whole to their unions and to the country rendered asisstance from the Arfny unnecessary. During the railway crisis both the Railway Department and the •Transport Department did splendid work in thoroughly organising the available transport in the dislocated districts, So also in many ways did the Post and Telegraph' Department."