FLYING THE TASMAN.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 154, 1 June 1937, Page 2

FLYING THE TASMAN.

SERVICE LIKELY SOON. Per Press Association. AUCKLAND, May 31. “There is no doubt in my mind that it will not be long before the Tasman is bridged by air,” said Mr W. T. Miller, superintendent of airways of the United States Bureau of Commerce, who was a through pasenger by the Mariposa from Sydney.. Mr Miller' visualised the linking of New Zealand, Australia, the United States and Canada by one or more air lines in the near future. He remarked to the interviewer that, with a service between Australia and New Zealand, the trip should be made possible by planes leaving either terminus in the morning and arriving in the afternoon. “It will be found in all probability that high-altitude flying will have to be maintained to get the best passage above the storm areas,” he added. Suggestions have been made that New Zealand might possibly be left out of the route of the regular mail and passenger air service, said Mr Miller, but he considered New Zealand was a most important link. Canada would also have to be included. To his mind, the United States and Canada, not only thought as one country,, but were also working as one country, and such an air service as he envisaged would be from “Australasia to North America.” “One of the main objects of my visit,” said Mr Miller, “was to ascertain as far as possible how much business would be offering for such a service across the Pacific and I have come to the conclusion that it is only going to be a very short period of time before New Zealand. Australia and America are going to be linked up with, a fast passenger and mail service by air. Whether it will be sponsored from America or the Antipodes is not for me to say, but justification for such a service is there. My view is that the Governments of the countries concerned will have to get together and come to some suitable arrangement. Every detail will have to be worked out before any service can be established.” It might easily be. he raid, that there would be sufficient encouragement for more than on" company to run a service, but nothing positive bad yet been arrived at, rnd the whole thing was a matter for the respective Governments. Tf it was decided to assist an air service, no doubt a reciprocal agreement would have to be drawn up. Under the United States regulations mail was carried under contract, and for this reason he could not say whether the Pan-American Airwavs Comnanv would be responsible for the service if it was organised. Tenders for the mall contract wou'd have to be called, and the successful tenderer would have the right to a mail mouopolv by air. , , Tt was to be remembered, however, that Pan-American Airways was the oolv larg" international operator in the United States. Its officers had done .a verv good job in bringing the dipper ship down to Auckland on the recent survey flight. _ Once the service was started, he said, the world would be encircled by air routes, because a regular service across the' Atlantic c-onld not be far off and once the Pacific was spanned or even bpfnra it. regular passenger and mad fliglks acre's the Tasman between New Zealand and Australia would have to come. Air Miller is to make a report on liis visit to New Zealand and Australia to his department. Tn each country he took the opnixrtunity of travelling by the principal air lines.