AIR MAIL SERVICES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20713, 5 November 1930, Page 12

AIR MAIL SERVICES.

ESTABLISHMENT PROPOSED. ACTION BY CABINET. MINISTER OUTLINES SCHEME. The establishment of air mail services between Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin before next Easter is expected to result from action taken by Cabinet just after the closing of the Parliamentary session. The Postmaster-General, Hon. J. B. Donald, said yesterday that the Government hoped within tho next few days to invite interested companies to submit tenders for the air transport of mail between the four centres. Ho said the Government was not prepared to grant a straightout subsidy for the service, but that the successful company would be allowed to retain the receipts from the sale of air stamps, less a percentage to cover the cost of transporting the mail between the airports and the post offices. The Minister said there were several companies interested ; n the project. The contract would bo given to a British company, preferably a local concern, and a stipulation would bo that tho machines used must be of British manufacture, and must abo be of the tri-motor type. The aeroplanes would run to a schedule approved by the postal authorities. It was hoped to run a daily trip each way. Mr. Donald said it was probable that a machine from Auckland would bo flow u to Wellington by ono pilot and then taken over by tho pilot of tho northbound aeroplane from Dunedin, to continue its tiip south without the mails and passengers having to be transferred to another machine. If this method of operation was adopted, pilots would have an opportunity of becoming more accustomed to ono air route than if thev had to fly from Auckland right to Dunedin. It was probable that pilots would bo allotted to either the North or South Island routes, and, once accustomed to a particular route, would bo retained on it. This would servo to give each pilot a better knowledgo of the conditions likely to be encountered on a particular course, and would tend toward safer and more efficient services. It was expected that the machines chosen would bo able to carry about 5001b. of mail and five or six passengers. I here were no machines of this type in the Dominion at present, although one was on the way from England to tho order ot a Southern company. However, such aeroplanes were in common use in Australia. England, the United States and on the Continent, concluded Mr. Donald, and were giving excellent service.