New Zealand Joins Empire Air Scheme; Ten Days to England

Northern Advocate, 9 July 1938, Page 5

New Zealand Joins Empire Air Scheme; Ten Days to England

[Special to “Northern Advocate.”] WELLINGTON, This Day. npj|E POSTMASTER-GENERAL, THE HON. F. JONES, REFERRING TO THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT NEW ZEALAND WILL PARTICIPATE IN THE EMPIRE AIR MAILS SCHEME AT THE CD. RATE OF POSTAGE, INDICATED YESTERDAY THAT THE COST TO NEW ZEALAND FOR THE CONVEYANCE OF NEW ZEALAND MAILS ON THE EMPIRE SERVICE FROM AUSTRAL IA TO ENGLAND AND ON THE BRANCH TO SOUTH AFRICA WOULH BE £54,000 A YEAR IN NEW ZEALAND CURRENCY. The annual cost, when the trans- Tasman service was operating would be increased to approximately £ 100,00 C. This large expenditure, said the Minister, would not be recovered from increased revenue, or from savings in the cost of forwarding mails by sea, and he desired to emphasise this aspect in connection with the postage adjustment. Allowing for more revenue, and on present estimates, and for savings on surface transport, it was anticipated that the expenditure would exceed the estimated revenue by £40,000.

> Twelve Letters For 1/6. “Under the new arrangements,” said the Minister, “the public will be able to send to England by air 12 letters for 1/6 as against only one for 1/6 under the existing air mail arrangements. Not only that, but the transit time will be progressively reduced until, with the spanning of the Tasman sea by air, letters will reach England in not more than 10 days after leaving New Zealand, or in onethird of the time taken at present. “There will be an immediate improvement in respect to transit time between New Zealand and Great Britain and Ireland, South Africa, India and Malaya, to name the more important British countries on the route. In respect to Canada, there will be considerable advantage in using the air service, while, of course, immediately the Tasman is spanned by air. the service to Australia will be almost equal to a cable service. Quick Transit. “For many years the average transit time of New Zealand mails to the Motherland has been 30 days,” continued Mr Jones, “and I am certain that the postage adjustment will not be objected to when it is realised that the transit time on the Empire service is to be reduced immediately by at least half and later by two-thirds, and that participation in the all-up scheme means an appreciable additional cost to the Post Office for mail carriage.

“I feel sure, however, that no New Zealander would desire that this country should stand aloof from participating in the Empire scheme because it involves a small increase in postage, and I trust the public will show appreciation of the vastly improved service by increasing the volume of their letter postings. Advantages Outlined. “Advantage of the change has been taken to introduce in the letter post except in the meatime to Australia, two distinct postage rates —the lid rate to British countries, most of which will now be served by air, and the 2|-d rate to all foreign countries except Egypt. Experience has demonstrated the desirability of having one simple rate for each group. At present the letter rates to foreign countries vary, with the result that much correspondence is insufficiently prepaid, and requires to be surcharged. This causes annoyance to sender and addressee alike.

Sea Carriage. “All articles other than letters will go by sea,” Mr Jones said. “The business community will no doubt be interested to know that a wide range of legal and insurance documents and bills of lading and the like come within the ‘commercial paper’ definition, and, if posted as commercial papers, will go by sea. Such packets may not be gummed down, but they may be securely tied with string so as sealing is not practised, and they may be registered. The overseas commercial paper rate of postage is a minimum of 2id per 10 ounces. “Now that the normal means of conveyance is by air, insurance on the Empire service will be effective, as in the case of letters sent by surface means. This means that in the case of England, for example, letters may be insured up to a limit of £4OO. This signifies the confidence of the Government in the new service.”