AIR MAIL CONFERENCE

Greymouth Evening Star, 27 February 1935, Page 2

AIR MAIL CONFERENCE

DISCUSSIONS CONTINUED

[by CABLE —PBESS ASBN.—COPYBIGHT.] SYDNEY, February 26. , The New Zealand delegates (Messrs A. Hamilton and McNamara) to the Air Mail Conference, to-night attended the Airways Exhibition, which was officially opened by Mr A. Parkhill (federal Minister). The exhibition includes photographs of many types of aeroplanes, and especially of employed in the air mail service. Mr ’ Hamilton congratulated the Commonwealth on its development ot aviation. He added that the flight to New- Zealand by Hewett and Kay alter competing in the air race had demonstrated the feasibility of Unking up the Dominion with the great Empire air services. He also paid a tribute to the pioneering work ot Sir C Kingsford Smith and the late Mi C. T. P. Ulm in this respect. Mr Parkhill stated that if the air mail proposals of the British delegation were accepted by the Commonwealth, a fifteen-years agreement, providing for a revision every three years, would be sought. The Minister said that the. question of the extent to which an agreement w-ould be entered into had not yet been resolved. The M Sun” says: “It is understood that the Australian and New Zealand delegates still hold the view- that the postage rate of lid per ounce, as proposed by Britain, w-ould impose a prohibitive cost on the Commonwealth and the Dominion, and a move is benig made to strike a compromise. The “Sun” adds that it is also understood that some of the delegates may suggest that flying boats shall be 'employed between Singapore and Darw-in and land planes betw-een Dar-w-in and Sydney, as an alternative to the proposal to employ flying boats throughout. . No official statement relating to the conference discussions has yet been issued, but it is believed that the quesiton of a trans-Tasman 'air service was considered to-dh», the proposal being a weekly service between Sydney and New Zealand. Mr Hamilton stated, to-night, that the conference had been engaged in discussing many intricate problems. There w-ere still a few Australian difficulties to be overcome, and until that w-as ’achieved, it w-ould not be possible to proceed further with the discussion of the position as it applies to New- Zealand.

MAIL FOR ENGLAND.

SYDNEY, February 27

The outgoing English air mail, which closed last night, carried about 6000 articles, exclusive of 3000 from New Zealand. FLYING-BOAT PROJECT. LONDON, February 26. In connection with the proposal for a flying-boat service from Darwin to Sydney, advanced at the Sydney conference, the Australian Press Association is informed that it is a Government scheme, with a political background, rather than an Imperial Airways project. Flying authorities question whether the scheme has much hope of fulfilment, in view of the Australian attitude, but it is emphasised that it must be regarded, not as an isolated unit, but as part of a comprehensive scheme for the development of marine airways, envisaging flyingJboats all the way from Calcutta to New Zealand. The scheme would synchronise with Imperial Airways’ plans for the construction of long-range flyingboats, far larger than those in use at present.

NEW BRITISH SERVICES

LONDON, February 26

The “Daily Telegraph’s” aviation correspondent says: “The transport companies are preparing a comprehensive network of airways for Britain. These services are beginning in May. The new services planned will link London, Hull, Aberdeen, Glasgow, the Isle of Man, Belfast, Manchester, Liverpool, Dublin, Carlisle. Kirkwall. Lerwick and Wick.”