From Life-Saving Drugs to Table Delicacies

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 88, 15 April 1939, Page 6

From Life-Saving Drugs to Table Delicacies

WHAT EMPIRE FLYING-BOATS TAKE TO ENGLAND (Written by Robert Brcnard.) Hurrying into the Rome offices of Imperial Airways the other day, an Italian solicitor explained that his brother was lying gravely ill with a form of blood poisoning which needed immediate treatment by a special form of injection. It had been found, however, that this particular drug could not be procured in Italy, being obtainable only in London. Would it be possible, asked the solicitor, for a special supply of this drug to be rushed out from London to Rome in one of the Imperial flyingboats? No sooner said than done. The officials in Rome flashed through a message to London. A special supply of this drug was obtained and put aboard the next out-going air-liner. And within 24 house of the request having been received the consignment was actually in Rome, and was being made ready for use in tho treatment of this urgent case. That gives you one example of the drama of modern high-speed air frieight transport. Here is another, quite a different one. Recently a group of experts in the Covent Garden* Market, London, could be seen examining some fresh green peas. Nothing particularly unusual about that. But there did happen to be something quite unusual about the consignment of peas which they had before them. Those peas had been picked in the fertile valley of tho Nile, Egypt, after which they had been rushed aboard an Imperial air-liner at Alexandria, and brought through to Southampton in 36 hours; coming up immediately to London to be tested by experts in the Covent Garden market.

These officials reported tho peas to be in prime condition after their aerial voyage; and they were placed immediately on display in the market. The idea of this particular experiment, and of others of a similar kind, is to ensure for British housewives, during tho winter, supplies of fresh garden produce from different points along tho Empire routes; these supplies travelling through so quickly by air-liner that they are in a perfectly fresh condition when placed on sale in London and elsewhere.

Many interesting tests are now in Hand. Consignments brought through to London by air are immediately examined by experts. These experts report not only on the condition of articles which have been air-borne perhaps for thousands of miles, but also make any suggestions, where necessary, for improvement in the packing of consignments of air dispatch. Great air-liners arriving at Southampton from various parts of the Empire now bring with them freight consignments of a remarkably varied nature. Here, for example, is an air service which has just come through over the 13,000 miles route from Australia. Being unloaded from the flying-boat at the Southampton air-port is a consignment of wool samples from Sydney; also some urgent official documents which have been rushed through from Australia to England. And here are newsreels which have been air-borne from Hong Kong. Here, too, is a musical instrument consigned to London from Singapore; also a number of rice samples from Rangoon and maps from Calcutta. From Karachi come medical specimens and wearing apparel; from Bahrein a consignment of jewellery; and from Athens some special films.

And now here is a homeward-bound air service from South Africa. In this particular flying-boat are to be found cotton samples which have come through from Durban; also some shoe samples from the same city. Then thero are consignments of mangoes from Nairobi and of bullion from Kisumu and Khartoum; also a number oi glass samples from Cairo. Launched the other day from tho works of the constructors at Rochester was a new 24-ton flying-boat “Ao-tea-roa.” This craft, with two others, will be employed in establishing a 1,400 miles air service between Australia and as soon as this new route is in operation it will mean that it will become possible for air-loads to be flown through from Auckland, via Sydney, to Southampton—a distance of 14,500 miles. Nor is this all. Far from it. Because this summer a great new 3,200 miles trunk air route is to be established between Southampton—via Ireland and Newfoundland—and Montreal in Canada. At Montreal this trans-ocean air-line will establish a connection with tho overland route stretching for 2,600 miles across Canada to Montreal. And when all these routes are in operation, and time-schedules are arranged to provide suitable connections, it will mean that the Empire will have a great chain of air-lines extending over a distance of 20,000 miles, and enabling loads to be flown from New Zealand—via Australia, Malaya, India, Egypt, and England —right across to the Pacific coast of Canada.

There are two particularly interesting developments in air freight transport just at the present time. One of these lies in the growing use of the flying routes for the transport of trade camples of all kinds. What happens—to take a typical case—is that a British manufacturer finds himself in touch with some client overseas as to a new line of goods which the British manufacturer has been producing. The overseas client asks to see a sample before placing an order. Whereupon this sam pie is rushed out. to the client by tho flying route—reaching its destination in a matter of days, by air, as compared with weeks by surface transport. By this use of the air services many business transactions can bo expedited very considerably, with benefits to all concerned.

The second point of interest concerns the increasing use made of the flying routes —-both European and Empire—for the dispatch of consignments of foodstuffs; and more particularly of table delicacies. Special consignments of oysters go out from England by air to

destinations on the Continent. So do choice English hams. Game, when in

season, is flown from England not only to cities on the Continent, but also to air-ports along tho Empire routes. The manager of a big London provision stores was explaining tho other day how frequently they now send out goods along the Empire air-lines. He mentioned one case to illustrate this. An Eastern potentate, staying in London, paid a visit to the stores. While sampling various products, he sasted a biscuit which appealed to him particularly. Whereupon he gave orders that, on his return to the East, regular supplies of biscuits should be dispatched to him by the Empire flying route; their rapid transit by air ensuring that they would be in prime condition on their arrival. Another story told is that of a club in a certain European city, the members of which assemble occasionally to enjoy a special dinner. The chief feature of this repast is that the chef prepares a menu including dishes famous in many different parts of Europe. His ingredients for these dishes he now obtains by air-special consignments of one delicacy or another reaching him over the European net work of flying routes. And each item comes to hand so quickly by air—even after being flown hundreds of miles—that all the various dishes are perfectly fresh, and at their best, when served tto the club members.