“IT’S UP TO N.Z.”

Northern Advocate, 22 July 1935, Page 5

“IT’S UP TO N.Z.”

KINGSFORD SMITH ARRIVES TO DISCUSS TRANS-TASMAN SERVICE SUBSIDY SOUGHT FROM GOVERNMENT. NINE HOURS TO AUSTRALIA. FARE £25. [Special to “Northern Advocate.”} AUCKLAND, This Day. “It is now up to New Zealand., If your Government says ‘yes,’ the transTasman air service can be put into operation with a minimum of delay. The Commonwealth Government is most favourable to the scheme,” said Sir Charles Kingsford Smith on arrival from Sydney today. He said Imperial Airways, which was a private dividend-earning firm, had never considered making New Zealand the last link in its air route until he announced that he was entering the field. Why should Imperial Airways receive preference? If a company were formed by New Zealanders and Australians the link could still be made with the Imperial scheme. Pioneers of the Tasman. “The Tasman crossing is purely a domestic service,” said Sir Charles. “We have the personnel, the technicians and the capital, and, above’all, we have the ethical right to conduct the service. We are pioneers of the Tasman crossing, and so far no outsiders have shown any willingness to spend money on the survey of the route. They are prepared, however, to use all information we have gathered over recent years and walk into the job. It would not be a fair thing,” Sir Charles Kingsford Smith said that he fly to Wellington tomorrow to place before the Government proposals for the service. He would suggest the use pf American flying boats carrying 20 passengers and baggage and a ton of mail. They would cross the Tasman in 9 hours. A bi-weekly service' each way was proposed from Sydney to Auckland harbour. He expressed the opinion that the single fare would be £25 at first, but it would be reduced later on. Aviation Subsidy.

Continuing, Sir Charles said that if a reasonable subsidy were not forthcoming from the New Zealand Government for a flying boat service, he would propose an alternative service for mail only to be carried by land planes. The American twin-engined Douglas plane was under consideration. It had a speed of 185 to 200 m.p.h. It had been suggested that the proportion of the subsidy paid by the New Zealand Government should be 60 per cent, arid Australia’s 40 per cent., but a later suggestion which had been discussed was a long term, agreement with both countries contributing equally. Sir Charles Kingsford Smith will leave Wellington on Friday for New Plymouth, and sail on Saturday from Auckland for Los Angeles.