FASTER MAILS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21906, 15 September 1934, Page 15

FASTER MAILS

SERVICE BY AIR EXTENDING EMPIRE ROUTE 18 DAYS FROM BRITAIN NEW ZEALAND'S INTEREST rnv telegraph—special reporter] WELLINGTON. Fridny The extension of the London-Karachi air mail service to Australia, which will probably take place toward the end of this year, will bring New Zealand to within 17 or 18 days' mail service of Great Britain. The importance and significance of this arrangement is emphasised in the annual report of the Post and Telegraph Department, which was presented to the House of Representatives to-day. The report states that the extension of the service to Singapore, achieved last year, was of no benefit to New Zealand, because of lack of suitable connecting steamer services, but that tha through service to Australia, when in operation, would offer great possibilities. Time-table Not Yet Fixed The time-table for the AustraliaSingapore section had not yet been announced, but with the speeding-up recently accomplished on the LondonSingapore route it was expected that Sydney would be reached from London in less than a fortnight, thus bringing mails to New Zealand in 17 or 18 days if a good connection were made at Sydney with vessels sailing for New Zealand. Further, it seemed not improbable, in view of several successful T.asmnn flights which had been made, particularly in recent months, that before many yeo/s had passed the England-Australia service would be extended to New Zealand, thus providing a connection that should reduce to not more than 14 days the transit time of mails exchanged between Britain and New Zealand, which was little less than half the average time now taken in the transit of mails from New Zealand to England, via North America. Government Grant of £SOOO The importance to New Zealand of the extension to Australia of the Eng-land-India air service had been recognised in a tangible way by the Government. On the inauguration of the through service, and on the understanding that suitable connections would be maintained in Australia with steamers to and from New Zealand, a contribution of £SOOO per annum would be made by New Zealand in the proportion of three-fifths to the Government of Great Britain and two-fifths to the Government of Australia, the basis of the division coinciding with the distance of the extensions (Kaaachi-Singa-pore and Singapore-Australia) for which each Administration would be responsible. Apart from the desirability *of New Zealand being a partner in an entirely Empire enterprise from its inception, the payment would ensure that New Zealand's requirements were given consideration when the time-tables were being arranged. In addition it was an earnest of the Dominion's approval of the steps taken to extend the Emoire service and improve communications with the Motherland.