COMMERCE IN THE AIR.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14038, 22 April 1920, Page 6

COMMERCE IN THE AIR.

[By Electric telegraph—Copyright.] (Per Press Association.) ...v.. Assn; K-• -i Received April 22", at 9.25 a.m. . LONDON.. April 20. ' •' -Air .-Commodore Maitland, lecturing at. .the-:-Royal Society of Arts .on - the eommercial>future of airships, said- the chief • advantage was safe- and rapid j long-distance transport, the easy interj changeability of commercial airships into fighting machines to enable the im- [ mediate provision of a fighting fleet with a full personnel in the event of war. ' Australia: had recently made- a determined effort to shorten the time occupied by the sea passage to Britain, but apparently the steamship companies were unable to improve the services, because improvement would entail the construction of such immense steamers as -would be out of proportion to the volume of traffic. Moreover, the Suez Canal would prevent the use of the largest liners, hut the largest airships could fly profit-ably over the Australian and otlier main sea routes at commercial prices. Tt was unlikely that the air services would as yet successfully compete with fast land transport. Better meteorological knowledge was required to enab l -- t lie winds to be regarded "as, t*lends instead oE 'jnemies. The route to Australia crosses the permanent easterly trade winds at right angles and turns eastwards from the Cape, receiving assistance in the roaring forties. The return jonrnev could lie made nearer the Equator, utilising the easterlies. Existing airships could show a profitof 15 per cent, by participating in the Australian service, carrying a ton or mails at 2s an ounce and passengers at £l9O each, the flight occupying 9i days.