AIR MAIL SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 July 1935, Page 2

AIR MAIL SERVICE

A BIG INCREASE

SOUTH WESTLAND TRAFFIC

Since January, when the first air mail service in New Zealand began operation, s (between Hokitika, Haast, and Okuru, in South Westland, the amount of mail carried each trip lias almost doubled. It is considered that this increase, shown in figures coinipiled by Mr J. C. Mercer, managing director and pilot of the company, ha# been brought about almost entirely by the speed and extra frequency of the air mail. I In tlic three months ended on j March 31, Mr Mercer carried 18411bs of mail in the company’s Fox Moth. In the next three months the figure was 35271 b, and was still rising. The mail load is now so big on occasions that no passengers can be carried with it, and extra trips have to be •made for them. Comparative figures ' for the two quarters a re • • • Ist 2nd Quarter. Quarter, lirs. lirs. min. Hours flown ... 315 174 20 Miles flown ... 3.1,500 17,^33 Passengers ... 595 310 Freight (in lbs) ... 2.637 2,221 Mail (in lbs) ... 1.841 3,527 ,r he falling oft’ in the amount of flying and in the number cf passengers is, cf course, accounted far by the decrease in the tourist traffic in the winier months, and has, indeed, not been, its great as was anticipated. The company has recently been I awarded the contract for taking flic J mail to Bruce Bay, about 100 miles south of TToUifi’m. where a big saw- i mill is being established. ! Tim service is at oresenf the only i one ’in New Zealand or Australia on I which mails are carried at the nor- j innl postage rate, without surcharge, j and is probably the only one in the

world—except perhaps in New Gfuinca—which carries anything but iirstclass mail without surcharge. Although the difference in time taken by ordinary transport and Hying is vastly greater on this route than can be expected on any other in New Zealand, the increase in the amount of mail is considered to justify the claim made oy air mail ad vitiates that an increase in speed stimulates mail traffic. ■The mail service is, of course, not the only advantage of the air service which the settlers in 'South Westland appreciate. On Tuesday afternoon Miss Florence Cron,, of Haast, a rived in Christchurch. She had had breakast at home that morning, and had flown with Mi Mercer to Inehbonnie, where she caught the express. Before the air soivice started it would have taken her nearly four days to reach Christchuch, if the weather had been good enough to allow the pack-horse section of the journey, south of the glaciers, to ibc. done in two days.