AIR MAILS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 251, 20 September 1934, Page 6

AIR MAILS.

Within a short time New Zealand, according to the PostmasterGeneral’s report, will participate directly in the Empire air mail service, giving official financial aid to the extent of £6OOO per annum. This will take effect with the extension of the London-Karachi-Singapore air mail services to Australia about the end of the year, and it is expected that the shortening of time will bring the Dominion within seventeen or eighteen days of Britain, if good connection is made with vessels sailing from Sydney for New Zealand. As to the importance of the innovation there can be no question, and business interests who value the time factor in their dealings with the heart of the Empire will recognise that the Government has taken proper steps to see that this Dominion is not overlooked in its desire to become a partner in the enterprise —which, has been well described as an Empire development. Hitherto the rapid transit of mails between Britain and Karachi, and subsequently -Singapore, has been of very little benefit to this country; and Australia, too, has yet to benefit appreciably from it. The reason is that suitable steamer services over the last part of the route have not been available. Even with the extension to Australia this Dominoin will be somewhat at a disadvantage compared with Australia, because New Zealand will still be under the handicap of having to depend on the sloAver method of ocean transport over the last stage of the journey. In this last respect the Postmaster-General strikes a hopeful note when he says it seems not improbable, in view of the several successful trans-Tas-man flights which have been made, that before many years have passed the Eng-land-Australia service will be extended to New Zealand, thus providing a connection that should reduce to not more than fourteen days the transit time of mails between New Zealand and the Homeland. It may seem a far cry to such a stage, yet with the tremendous progress that has been made in aviation the hope may be justified. However, at the moment little foundation is offered for the belief that all-the-year-round trans-Tasman flights are feasible, since the hazards to be met with are considerable and the traffic offering may not present itself as well worth the huge cost that would be involved in such an undertaking as a State-subsi-dised trans-Tasman service connected with the main EnglandAustralia scheme. In the meantime, an appreciable gain in time will accrue from the present arrangement provided steamship connections are effected, and it is in this respect, it would appear, that New Zealand’s investment should be safeguarded. To gain several days on the air route and lose them in Australia would condemn the subsidy.