THE H.B. TRIBUNE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1936. OVERSEA AIR MAILS.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 236, 18 September 1936, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1936. OVERSEA AIR MAILS.

Word we had from Wellington yesterday affords some hope that at least the negotiations for an extension to New Zealand of the Anglo-Australian air-mail service will take some definite shape. Hitherto all enquiries made of our own Government as to what was being done to expedite matters have been met with the rather blank reply that nothing could be done here until a settlement is reached of differences between the United Kingdom and Commonwealth Governments with regard to the carriage of the mails as far as and across or around Australia. This position has held almost ever since some eighteen months or more ago an evidently over-san-guine Postmaster-General, the Hon. Adam Hamilton, reported to Parliament that there was every good prospect of an air-mail service linking the Dominion with the Old Country being in operation by 1937. It cannot, however, be fairly said that the disappointing delays in taking steps towards the fulfilment of this prediction are to be attributed to neglect on the part either of the then Government or of the present one. They are in reality assignable solely to the difficulties that have arisen in bringing the British and Australian Governments into accord with regard both to the conduct of the service as affecting Australia and the rates of postage to be charged. The original British proposal, which had an outlook embracing the whole Empire, had in view the establishment of an Imperial system of fast mail services that would cost those using them no more than the ordinary standard rate of letter postage now in vogue in the United Kingdom. This was an immensely attractive conception in its broad aspects, but when it came to be examined in detail the Australian Government bogled at it on two grounds. In the first place, the British Government contemplated continuing the service round Australia’s eastern coast with the seaplanes operating between Singapore and Darwin. To this the Federal Government raised strenuous objection, insisting that the mails should be carried between Darwin and Sydney by the overland route already in operation. Three reasons were advanced for this, firstly, that the Australian Government wished to retain full control of the service so far as its own territory was concerned, secondly, that Australia’s defence plans strategically demanded it, and, thirdly, that there would be an appreciable saving in time for the two big Australian business centres of Sydney and Melbourne. So far as we have yet heard disagreement on these points still continues after twelve months of active discussion. I Yet another line of variance

arises with regard to the rate of postage to be charged. As already said, the British Government’s suggestion is that the standard rate of l|d now holding in the United Kingdom, both for internal mails and for those destined for delivery within the Empire, should be adopted. Australia replies by insisting upon the 2d rate that has for years been in vogue there. Beyond these main points of difference difficulty has been found in the adjustment of governmental contributions to the cost of initiating and maintaining the service, including, of course, sueh essentials as landing grounds, beacons and all the many other facilities that will be essential to speedy efficiency. As to the trend of the later stages of Anglo-Australian negotiations we have heard very little over here, so it cannot be said whether they look any more like coming to some mutually satisfactory decision. In any event, it would seem that New Zealand is at length to be brought directly and openly into the discussions. The opportunity has been taken of the presence of a representative of the British Air Ministry on an advisory mission to our own Government to arrange a conference at Wellington which will be attended by a delegation from Australia, headed by the Minister of Defence and accompanied by technical advisers. There is thus a preliminary businesslike look about the meeting that gives some ray of hope of practical results, if not of final agreement, towards which the cooler atmosphere of the Dominion may assist, for at times there has been friction engendering a good deal' of heat. Incidentally it may be noted that our own Prime Minister suggests the rate of postage as being now the chief bone of contention. If so, possibly what he may have to tell as to the beneficial results of the adoption here of Sir Joseph Ward’s basic penny rate may have some influence in modifying the views of the Australian delegation.