EMPIRE AIR MAIL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23084, 8 July 1938, Page 13

EMPIRE AIR MAIL

NEW POSTAGE RATES 14 DAYS TO ENGLAND LETTERS P 2 D HALF-OUNCE INAUGURATION ON JULY 26

[BY TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Thursday

Commencing on Tuesday, July 26, the postage rate on letters for all Empire countries (except Australia), including protectorates and mandated territories, also Egypt, will be lid for each half-ounce, according to a statement made to-day by the Prime Minister, Mr. Savage. After that date all letters and postcards exchanged between New Zealand and Empire countries served by the Australia-England and England-South Africa air services will be forwarded by air as the normal means of despatch. Tho same will apply in the opposite direction to correspondence from Empire countries en route to New Zealand. Features of the Change Tho outstanding features of the change are an increase on July 26 in the letter postage rate to Empire countries, excluding for the present Australia, Ilarotonga and Apia, from Id an ounce to lid for each half-ounce, the despatch by air of all letters for Empire countries served by the Australia-England and England-South Africa air services, and the fixing of the United Kingdom rate to all foreign countries except Egypt at 2Jd for the first ounce and lid for each succeeding ounce. The principal countries participating in the Empire service are Great Britain and Ireland, Australia, South Africa, India, Ceylon and Malaya. Correspondence for Canada and Newfoundland will be forwarded by air via Great Britain or by sea direct, whichever offers the quicker despatch. Correspondence for Australia will similarly be carried by air when the transtasman air service is inaugurated, but the postage rate on letters for Australia will continue meantime at Id an ounce. Steamer Across Tasman Sea For the present New Zealand correspondence for the Empire countries concerned will be forwarded to Australia by steamer to connect with tho air service at Sydney. The transit time of the regular passenger steamers operating between New Zealand and Australia is three to four days, and the transit time on the air service between Australi# and England under 10 days. Accordingly the transit time for letter mails forwarded from New Zealand to Great Britain will bo jiot more than 14 days, or about half the average transit time by existing surface transport. The last despatch of letter mails by sea to the United Kingdom will be from Auckland on July 25. The first air service tinder the Empire scheme will commence at Sydney on August 9. and the last despatches from New Zealand to connect with the service will be by the Wangaruella from Wellington on August 4 and the Mariposa from Auckland on August 5. Inland Services

There is no change in the postage rate for postcards (Id each), although postcards, like letters, will be sent by air on the Empire route. The rates for newspapers, packets and parcels remain unchanged. These articles will continue to be forwarded by sea. Members of the public who desire to use the New Zealand internal air mail services to connect with outgoing steamers must add Id an ounce to the ordinary postage or air mail charge. The inland postage rates are unaltered and continue to apply to correspondence for the Cook Islands and Western Samoa. Foreign Correspondence From July 26 also the letter postage rate to all foreign countries (except Egypt) will be the Postal Union rate of 2Jd for the first ounce and lid for each succeeding ounce. The principal countries concerned in this change are the United States of America and Hawaii, the Argentine Republic, Brazil, Mexico, Italy, Portugal, Rumania and Yugoslavia. Letters for foreign countries will continue to be forwarded by sea unless the existing special charges for air despatch are paid. A charge additional to the Empire rate is also required to be paid meantime on letters for Hongkong flown on the branch air service from Bangkok.