JUBILEE MAIL

Grey River Argus, 9 May 1935, Page 7

JUBILEE MAIL

N.Z. TO BRITAIN All Air Route (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, May 8. An historic event for New Zealand in connection with the Imperial communications will be the celebration of the King’s Jubilee by the dispatch of the first mail from New Zealand to England by a complete all-air route. This interesting anticipation of rapid mail communication which will be regularly provided less than two years hence, has been made possible by the trans-Tasman flight of Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, who, after arriving in New Zealand from Australia in the

“ Southern Cross/’ next week, proposes to leave on the return flight, piobably from New Plymouth, on the morning of May 17th. Hitherto air mail correspondence on the Austra’ a-Sugapore-England rout* has nad to be conveyed as far .is Sy die / by steamer, and this is the first opportunity for sending letters bv an air route over the whole distance. The. New Zealand and Commonwealth authorities and Imperial Airways regard the coming jubilee flight as an historic one in the annals of Empire communication, and 'are co-operating to* provide special facilities' to (]he public for celebrating this distinctive occasion.

A record weight of correspondence is expected from New Zealand. Consequently, a special machine will be utilised to convey a portion of the mail in advance of the normal bi-weekly service.

The keen public interest in these special occasions was evidenced by a remarkable demand for first-cover envelopes of the pictorial stamp issue, and the Post Office is consequently providing jubilee first covers for the inaugural New Zealand-Australia-Eng-land air mail. These first cover envelopes are being made available tomorrow. The charge for letters from New Zealand to England will be 2s Id for each half ounce, and the new mail stamps are now available for use. The pictorial and jubilee issue can also be utilised on this correspondence. Letters posted for the jubilee Hight should have the blue air mail label affixed in addition to being superscribed with the name of the Hight “New ZealandEngland air mail.” The Post Office emphasises the fact that there is no arrangement for the forwarding be yond Australia of correspondence for New Zealand addressees. Letters for this special Hight, in addition to being date, stamped at the office of posting, will also be again date stamped on the day of the plane’s take off from New Zealand, and marked with a distinctive cachet. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 8. The Australian arrangements for the jubilee trans-Tasman air mail are described by Mr Percival in a cable received by'Mr S. E. Nielson. The Australian Postmaster-General has approved the following:—Mail to New Zealand from Australia; to New Zealand and return by air to Australia; to New Zealand by air and return by ordinary mail to Australia; to New Zealand by air and thence by ordinary mail to America; and to London via New Zealand wholly bv air.