MAIL SERVICES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLVI, Issue 26, 30 December 1925, Page 10

MAIL SERVICES.

DR. THACKER’S CRITICISM. • REPLY BY MR MARKMAN. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Dec. 29. On his return from England and America a few days ago Dr. Thacker criticised the mad facilities, stating that mails via Vancover took 35 to 4U days to reach London, whereas a passenger, if the ship was speeded up, could reach it in 27 days. Mr Markman, secretary of the Post Office, said to-day that Dr. Thacker’s statement was not according to the facts. He produced records to show that the average time the mail took to London since last January was 29 days via San Francisco and via Vancouver the averageover two years was 31 days. The longest time via Vancouver this year was 33 days and the shortest 29, the longest via San Francisco was 31 days and the shortest 27. There was no value in Dr. Thacker’s suggestion to use an air mail between San Francisco and New York, as although the Continental passage took only 36 hours by air tho mails would be delayed at New York waiting for the fast mail steamer, which the mails now regularly caught the day after arrival at New York. The present time-table had been all worked out, and it would be absurd to expect the Cunard ■ Line to arrange the movements of their ships for the convenience of New Zealand mails.