EMPIRE AIR MAIL

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 7 March 1935, Page 7

EMPIRE AIR MAIL

2 COMPLETE SCHEME IN 1937 SERVICE WILL SAVE 20 DAYS OUTCOME OF CONFERENCE. I (Government Memo,) WELLINGTON, March 6. • Confidence that the Empire air mail , scheme, involving the carriage of all , first-class mails between England and . New Zealand by air at a charge of lid per lialf : ounce would he established in 1937, was expressed by the Hon. Adam Hamilton, Postmaster-General, in a statement to-night. The reason most of the scheme could not be established earlier was that machines would have to he manufactured and the ground organisation perfected. Mr Hamilton indicated that New Zealand could not definitely agree to the scheme until Australia had come to a decision.- He stressed, however, the value of the service in strengthening the bonds pf Imperial unity, as it would touch all the Dominions except Canada. New Zealand was obtaining information on the Tasman hop. The service would save ”0 days in the transit of mail from England to New Zealand, according to Mr Hamilton ’s statement. “Members are aware of my visit to Australia, the purpose of which was to discuss with British and Australian representatives proposals submitted by the British authorities for an Empire air mail service for 15 years to commence in 1937,” he said. “The i seheme originated in Britain and the New Zealand Government has been in communication with the British Government on the subject since 1932. Much correspondence passed between us and some progress was made. “The extreme importance of the matter was appreciated by Britain which arranged for four delegates holding high positions to proceed by air to Australia to discuss in detail the , various points involved in the seheme. Two of the delegates represented the British Post Office, while tlie other two represented fhe Air Ministry. The conference met at Sydney -when tlie . Director-General of the Post and Telegraph Department, Mr 'G. McNamara, : and myself attended on behalf of New Zealand. The Hon. Archdalc Paikliill, j i Minister of Civil Aviation and Defence, was chairman of the conference and there was associated w T itk him -Sen- . ator A. J. McLachlan, PostmasterGeneral for Australia, and the heads : of their various departments. /

PROSPECT FOR 1937. “It was of great advantage to have the British delegates in attendance, more especially as they had just flown over the proposed route and had discussed this scheme with other repiesentatives, especially of India, on their way from London to Australia. “All admitted that the agreements reached on various major points fully justified the convening of the conference. It can now be confidently said that there is every prospect of the scheme coming into operation in 1937.

“I should like to explain the existing arrangements and proposed position, so that the scheme may be fully understood. At present our first-class mails which comprise sealed letters are transported to Britain via Vancouver' or San Francisco, thence across America and the Atlantic. Secondclass mail usually goes forward via Panama. The time occupied by the former route is in the vicinity of 28 days to London and by the latter about 35 days. This service at present costs £56,000 per annum, while our mail to Australia costs us about £9OOO per annum. <‘ At present New Zealand enjoys penny postage within the Empire. ‘ * Commencing last December a twice-weekly air mail service was inaugurated between London and Sydney via India. The utilisation of this service is; however, entirely optional on the part of senders of \ letters. At present the extra charge in New Zealand for letters by this route is Is 6d per half-ounce. Little use is made of this service as, only a few pounds of mail are sent each week to London bj air. From' to New- Zealand the connection stul remains by steamer. “At present it is optional for senders of letters to pay the extra charge for transport by air mail or to forward their letters by the ordinary mail routes. The proposal to which Britain is now asking the Dominions to agreeis that it will be compulsory to forward all first-class mail matter within the Empire by air and the option which now exists .of sending it- by steamer will terminate.

BATE OF CHARGES. “The present ordinary postage rate in Great Britain is Ud per ounce. If the scheme is agreed to Britain purposes to make no charge for the carriage of mail by air instead of by steamer, other than to reduce from one ounce to half an ounce the weight that may be carried. Under their present ltd charge a reduction in weight will make practically no difference in the case of ordinary correspondence. Neither the Australian nor the New Zealand Government has yet decided the question as to the charges to be imposed on outgoing, mails from their respective countries, but I have no doubt that New Zealand’s charges will not exceed those made by Groat Britain, viz., lid per half-ounce. “On behalf of . the Government of New Zeiland I intimated to tlie conference that New Zealand would.agree to the Min principles ehibo'died in fhe •chdine, but until Australia is in a

position to give her decision, after having ascertained how the seheme * will affect Australia, this Dominion is ■ not in a position geographically to benefit bv it.

“However, the advantages of this scheme in more effectively and closely linking up the peoples of the Empire are so tremendous that New Zealand, the most distant part of the Imperial Commonwealth,, .should . co-operate .to the utmost. Nothing in modern times has promised so much in the way of linking up within the shortest possible space of time all the important' parts of the Empire with the exception of Canada. .

“Here is the ideal All Red route to be traversed day and night by fast

aeroplanes. . •" • , “Having its service stations and direction-finding apparatus located >at suitable points throughout its , length, it is almost impossible to visualise the possibilities of this magnificent scheme, which so greatly reduces the former handicap of distance in our .'scattered Empire. If the scheme comes into operation in 1937, and -it is now almost certain .that it will, it is proposed to land London mail at Sydney in seven and a-half days. If this mail can be brought to New Zealand by air London mail should arrive in New Zealand within eight or nine days of its despatch. . •

CROSSING ATLANTIC. “At present Canada is not included in the Empire scheme as the crossing jf the Atlantic by air still constitutes i difficulty. When it becomes compulsory to send Empire mail other than that for Canada by air mail, New Zealand will have twice weekly an outgoing mail of about one ton in weight, tvhile the incoming mail will he about >ne and a-half tons' twice weekly. “Both the'British delegation and the Australian authorities were favourable ;o the extension of the service from Sydney to New Zealand by air. This row appears to be within the region of iracticability. Before my departure :rom Sydney the British . delegation dndly arranged by icable for the echnical examination of the problem if crossing the Tasman Sea and will übmit full details and probable cost if a service, which would enable us to lonnect at. Sydney with the existing .ir mail service between London and Australia.

“The Controller of Civil Aviation in Australia is also proceeding abroad almost immediately to investigate the most modern types of flying machines. He will report on the most suitable machines for the Tasman service. As the crossing of tlie Tasman involves the longest hop over water on the Londoii-Australia-New Zealand air route, if will be appreciated that the fullest data should be secured on this point before entering into any definite arrangements for the establishment of a Tasman service. FLYING BOATS FAVOURED.

“The British authorities seem to favour the use of flying boats, rather than.’ land machines, for the whole of the service. Certainly for the: crossing, of the Tasman flying boats would appear to inspire more confidence. than land machines. These huge flying boats are capable of carrying several tons of mail and, in addition, sleeping accommodation can be provided for a limited number of passengers. It is not,, however, proposed at this stage to discuss the establishment of a . passenger service across the Tasman. > •

“The proposed route from London to Sydney is by way of Egypt, India, Singapore and Darwin; and arrhn-gements-will be ,made for continuous: flying" by night and day. . “The reason for delaying the establishing of the scheme, until .1937 is-bn account of the time required for. the manufacture of suitable machines and for the necessary ground organisation to. be perfected. If the Dominions concerned all agree to the proposals preparations for the scheme will be put under wav immediately. It is confidently, anticipated that business men and others who forward their mails bv air will heartily approve of the new: scheme, as the postage charge is to be at such a low rate. “I personally hope that before, 1907. Australia .and New Zealand will be in a position to establish an. air .mail-ser-vice across the Tasman.

“Prior to the commencement in December last of the present voluntary air mail service New Zealand lias-agreed to become a foundation member of the scheme and at present contributes £SOOO per annum towards tlie service. f “Mails are now being carried by air very extensively in Britain and the Continent and flying has reached the stage when it can be considered to be a safe and reliable service.

“In conclusion I would like to pay a tribute to the courtesy and assistance we received from the Australian and British authorities during our visit to the conference. Every facility was afforded us to obtain the information we desired and assistance was given on every point of interest to us.”