AIR SERVICE

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1938, Page 5

AIR SERVICE

MAILS FOR LONDON

AUSTRALIAN PREFERENCE.

(Australian Press Association.)

CANBERRA, June 16.

“Australia's air mails for England will have the first call on the space in the flying-boats when the new Empire service is inaugurated next month,’’ said the Minister for Defence (Mr H. V. Thorby) to-day. He added that Quantas Airways had contracted to carry all available Australian mails, and so long as they fulfilled their obligation they were entirely free to make contracts with other parties for the carriage of mail and other freight.

The Minister said that if the New Zealand Government wished to ship mails to Australia for transport by air to London, it would have to make its own agreement with the company.' The carriage of those mails would be dependent upon the flying-boat’s capacity to take them after providing tor Australian mails.

HON. F. JONES. AN INTERVIEW. \Per Press Association —Copyright). CHRISTCHURCH June 17. “Up to yesterday afternoon we had received no advice from the Federal Government concerning the Empire Air Mail Service’’, said the Postmas-ter-General (Hon. F. Jones) in a telephone interview this morning. The Minister refused to comment on the situation until such time «s official; advice was received. He said that the New Zealand Government had been waiting for a reply for some time' but’ he was not prepared to accept the Press', cable as being authentic of accurate. “On the other hand,” lie said, “Aus-; Indian authorities might be doing just a little bit of kite flying.” A SECOND INTERVIEW. GREYMOUTH. June 17. Interviewed at Greymouth this morn-', iiig regarding a Sydney cablegram with reference to the Empire air mail service, the Postmaster-General (Hon. F. Jones) stated he did not know whether the statement the New Zealand Government must make in our agreement With the Quantas Company for the carriage of mails was correct. The statement did not seem to square with the Government’s expectations, and he doubted its correctness.The' Gov-' eminent had been awaiting a reply from Australia InTtr^ftr lie ktfew

no reply had been received up" to yesterday afternoon. Meanwhile, he withheld further comment. Hon. F. Jones arrived in Greymouth by aeroplane from Wellington on Departmental business.