AIR MAILS

Hawera Star, Volume L, 11 September 1930, Page 8

AIR MAILS

LOWER RATES' URGED

ULM’S SUGGESTION

A proposal that air mail postage rates should be reduced has recently been engaging the attention of the Postal Department, say the Sydney “Sun.”

Olio suggestion that has been made is that a specially cheap postage stamp should be charged over specified air mail sections. Advocates of the reduction claim that the increased aitmail business at the reduced rate would mean additional revenue for the Postal Department. The present rate is 3d a. half ounce additional to the ordinary postage.

When the suggestion for a reduction was referred to Air. C. T. !’. Dim, ol National Airways, he said that he believed that iiis company could earn more: money as an air mail 1 farrier if the rate were lowered.

“At present we are paid 8s a lb on all air mail we carry between. Brisbane and Sydney.” he explained. “Believing that if t-lie postage rate were reduced we would do a larger business, we are prepared to accept a smaller poundage rate than 8s if the postage rate is reduced. “We recently suggested to the Postal authorities that the extra air postage between Brisbane and Sydney should be reduced from 3d to lid and that a consequential reduction should bo made in our poundage rate. “The Postal Department pointed out however, that there were many dillitid tips in the way of establishing a sectional rate.”

PEW LETTEDS

National Airways would be agreeable to the application of the lower air postal rate to- the Melbourne Sydney section also. At present very lew letters are carried by air on ibis .section. which has not been long m existence, but the air mail business on the Sydney-Brisbane; section Inis been gradually built up, until now it hut ages, 18,000 letters a week, Mr. IJJm beliei es that this total could be doubled it the postage rate were reduced.

The managing director of Quuufas (Mr. Hudson Fysli), speaking by telephone from Brisbane, said that he believed that a reduction in the air postage rate would mean a great additional service to the public an advantage to the air mail companies, and would benefit tile Postal Department by the greater volume of air mail business. The rates were reduced in America about six mouths ago, and the response from the public had been excellent. He suggested that if an arrangement could he. made whereby a. total charge of 3d would carry a letter by air mail anywhere in the Commonwealth a very great improvement in business would result.