PAN-AMERICAN AIRWAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23118, 18 February 1937, Page 7

PAN-AMERICAN AIRWAYS

NEGOTIATIONS WITH GOVERNMENT HOPES OF SATISFACTORY CONCLUSION (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, Feb 17 When asked to-day if the statement published in Auckland that serious difficulties had arisen between the Pan-American Airways Company and the New Zealand Government in regard to the company’s proposal to establish a flying boat service giving a three to four days connection between San Francisco and New Zealand were true, Mr Harold Gatty, representative ol the company in New Zealand, replied that he had from the very commencement of the negotiations refrained from discussing the nature of the discussions publicly, for the company’s attitude was that it would have been improper to take any step which would unduly stir up public interest while the discussions were in progress He repeated that Lie relations between himself and the Government had been consistently of a friendly nature, and he had personallv been treated with the utmost courtesy. ! We have every hope that the discussions will be concluded satisfactorily very shortly now,” he said_ “An agreement was signed over 15 months ago, and it is perfectly correct that nearly three months ago three experts of the company arrived in New Zealand, bringing with them ah the equipment necessary for the establishment of such terminal facilities as are necessary for the reception and overhaul of machines on the first flights Those officers of the company are still in New Zealand awaiting instructions to commence their work. The position is that the company is ready and has been ready for many weeks now to commence exploratory flights down the Pacific. Had it not been for the intervention of the Pacific maritime strike—an altogether unforeseen circumstance—the experts and all the equipment could have been here many weeks earlier.”