AIR MAILS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22404, 28 April 1936, Page 11

AIR MAILS

AUSTRALIAN PLAN REJECTION BY BRITAIN OWN PROPOSALS PRESSED By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received April 27. 7.15 p.m.) MELBOURNE, April 27 Australia's modification of the Empire air mail scheme has been rejected by the British Government, and the onus of accepting or rejecting the original British proposals now rests with the Commonwealth Government, which has been asked to reconsider them as early as possible. The British plan provided for a bi-weekly seven-day service between London and Sydney, in which mails at ordinary postage rates, and passengers, would be carried in flyingboats. This scheme was accepted in principle by the Commonwealth Government, but later the Cabinet decided to submit as an alternative a plan for faster land aeroplanes between Singapore and Sydney and a reduction of the air mail surcharge from Is 6d to 6d. The Cabinet felt that the adoption of the British plan would mean that Australia would lose the control of a section of the air route and that Australia's defence and civil aviation organisations would suffer, while to agree to the carrying of mails at ordinary rates would involve the Commonwealth in a heavy loss of revenue and heavy additional expenditure.