IMPERIAL AIR SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18087, 11 May 1922, Page 7

IMPERIAL AIR SCHEME.

SUPPORT IN PARLIAMENT.

VALUE IN EVENT OF WAR.

AUSTRALIAN SUPPORT. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received 7.5 p.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON. May 9. Members of the industrial group in the House of Commons discussed Commander Burney's airship servico scheme for India and Australia. Mr. A. H. Ashbolt. Agent-General for Tasmania, explained tho Imperial aspects of tho scheme, intimating that Australia would probably be prejjarcd to vote, a sulxsidy of £150.000 a year, though this was not definitely settled. Commander Bunicy also explained the proposals, and urged the desirability of tho country being able to call upon the services of a, fleet of airships in tho caso of war to <o-opcra-fo with submarines. The meeting passed a. resolution to send a deputation to the Committee of Imperial Defence to urgo tho commercial possibilities and military advantages of Commander Burney's scheme.

In March last delinito proposals were mado to tho British Government for its consideration and for submission to tho Governments of India and Australia by a. syndicate consisting of Vickers, Limited, tho* Shell Company, and Commander Burney, 8.N., for tho taking over of tho British Airship Fleet and material with the dual object of running it as a commercial undertaking and providing the nucleus of which an airship service which could bo rapidly provided in the event of war. Tho commercial object to bo attained is a mail and passenger service as follows: Bombay, 5J days (now 17 days); Rangoon, 74 days (now*22 days); Hongkong, 84 days (now 4 to 5 weeks); Australia, 11£ davs (now 4 to 5 weeks). From the naval point of view the idea is to develop a service with trained crows, bases, ships, and technical knowledge, all of which could be taken over on the outbreak of wax.

For these purposes the syndicate proposes that the Government should transfer to it, free of cost, all airships, aivship material and airship bases, and should supply wireless and meteorological services. In this event a company will bo formed, having available a capital of £4,000,000, of which sum £1,800,000 will be in ordinary shares and £2,200,000 in debentures, for the purpose of establishing a mail and passenger service to India and Australia, subject to the Imperial Government arranging by means of a subsidy a guarantee of dividend and interest for u period of years—as regards the ordinary shares 6 per cent, (free of income tax) for 10 years, and as regards tho debentures 4J per cont. (free of incomo tax) until redemption. This guarantee or subsidy would be of a contingent nature and would amount to £171,000 per annum, which the, syndicate proposes should bo divided between the countries obtaining the benefit of the servics as follows: Great Britain, £91.000; Australia, £40,000; India, £40,000. These payments would cease as soon as the profits from the company were sufficient to cover them. . . It is stated that recent inventions have fundamentally altered the conditions under which "airships can be run for commercial purposes. Among these inventions a carburetter, to use petrol or heavier oil combined with hydrogen, giving an increase of 40 per cent, in the useful load ; a cellulose substitute for gold-beater skin I for tho gas bag, greatly decreasing its cost; and a much cheaper process of making hvdrogen gas. The" syndicate does not proposo to utilise the present Government airships—if it ! obtains them—for purposes other than training and short voyages. For the long routes they will construct a new type embodying all the latest improvements and capable of carrying 100 passengers and eieht to 10 tons of mails. These ships will complete the voyage to India with only one stop, and that to Australia with three stops.