MAILS BY AEROPLANE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16980, 14 October 1918, Page 4

MAILS BY AEROPLANE.

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S SCHEME.

An aerial mail servico for New Zealand is a matter which Sir Joseph Ward has had under consideration during his recent visit to England. Discussing his proposals on Saturday he said that General Sykes, who has charge of the air branch of the British War Department, was sending him a full report "upon tho points which would have to be taken into consideration in establishing such a service in this country. It would not be possible to put the scheme into operation until after the war. A large number of machines now being used in the fighting woulfj then become available. The very latest and most up-to-date aeroplanes would be essential for the proper carrying out of the scheme he had in mind. Furthermore, there, were numerous preliminary steps which could not be undertaken during the continuation of the war. Landing places for the machines engaged in the aerial mail service must be allocated and laid out, and for this purpose comparatively short stretches of level ground would be requisite. The whole of the preliminaries must be carried out by specialists, and would probably occupy from six to twelve months. Meantime all that could be done was to gather as much useful information as possible. Reports, maps, and suggestions for the guidance of the New Zealand Government were being prepared at Home by Mr. Handley Page, the well-known British manufacturer of aeroplanes. The information and data being prepared would therefore be from the most reliable and experienced sources.