AIR MAIL TRANSPORT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21212, 18 December 1930, Page 10

AIR MAIL TRANSPORT.

While the inauguration of an air mail service between the four principal cities of the Dominion would be gratifying to many people, as affording certain proof that New Zealand is among the most progressive and most ‘‘air-minded” countries of the world, there will be little ' surprise at the Postmaster-general’s intimation that none of the four tenders for the carriage of air mails boween Dunedin and Auckland has been of such *a' kind as can be accepted. There is no lack of appreciation of the commercial possibilities, of air services, but the idea that the Government should subsidise mail services by air is one which can hardly be entertained seriously in present circumstances. The conveyance of mails by air between Dunedin and Auckland would clearly be of benefit to business communities, and is in itself a thing to be desired, whenever it can be brought about under favourable conditions. The existing arrangements* however* for the

transport of mails by train and steamer arc not unsatisfactory, and a telephone as well as telegraphic service linking the ends of. New Zealand makes possible the transaction of urgent business with a fair degree of efficiency and a minimum of wasted time. Air mail services are still somewhat infrequent, save in those territories in which means of communication are inferior to those in the Dominion, or where great distances have to be traversed, and, it may well be argued that the establishment of a domestic service in New Zealand is premature if the extra postage that would be required for the transmission of correspondence by it would nothin addition to the passenger fares, suffice the contractors. The Government has, therefore, not exercised an unwise discretion, especially in' view of the present need for caution in expenditure, in refusing to grant any subsidy for air mail transportation. It would, indeed, seem not unreasonable to delay the introduction- of internal air services until the surcharge on mails carried by air is sufficient in itself to reimburse whatever organisation is prepared to carry out the enterprise. ,■ ' •