MAILS BY AIR.

Otago Witness, Issue 3619, 24 July 1923, Page 41

MAILS BY AIR.

A NEW RECORD. SUCCESS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA (From Oi;b Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY, June 27. Western Australia promises to set an example in bold progressive policy to the rest of the Commonwealth in more than one direction. At a time when all the other states are talking of the success which is being achieved by the immigration and land settlement policy under which many men with families are being provided with land and financed and otherwise aided in community settlements, whereby the young west has given a remarkable lead to the older states, comes the announcement that yet another record lias been achieved by the aerial mail service, which was inaugurated about a couple of years ago, and which ever since had been quietly but most, effectively pioneering this class of transit over Australia’s great spaces. The service is not confined to the carriage of mails, and a book could be written of the adventures encountered, and the aid given to the sick and other emergencies in the great tract covered by the fleet of ’planes. Passengers are carried at set fares, and the service is recognised as being the most valuable in overcoming the immense distances of Western Australia that has been introduced. The 'planes regularly meet the express from the capital at Perth on its arrival at the coastal town of Geraldton, which lies about 250 miles north from the capital. It is then their duty to carry the mails, etc., over a thousand miles, as the crow flics, further north to the far north-western outpost of Derby, the port of the Kimberley Division on the King Hound. With detours to bring in various other centres en route the distance is considerably increased. It chanced a week age that the express from Perth arrived at Geraldton about eight hours late, arul (he aerial mail was unable to start for the far north west until Saturday morning. With this handicap it was thought that it would be impossible that the round trip could be completed in order to secure the return mails up to schedule time, thus enabling them to be despatched to Perth from Geraldton on the right day. But such was the determination of the pilot to maintain the good name of the service that the great journey was accomplished in three and a-half days, and the mails and passengers set out from Geraidton for Perth without a hitch. It was 7 a.m. on the Saturday when Pilot Heath set out for Carnarvon, a coastal town nearly 3CO miles north of Geraldton, on the Saturday. He landed there at 1 o’clock, and, after the machine had been replenished with fuel and an es; unination had been made by the ground engineer, Pilot Anderson set out for Onslow, another 250 miles ahead, and arrived there, early in the afternoon. An hour later saw the same pilot on the wing again, and at dusk lie was at

Port Iledland, vet another 250 miles rn the journey. The following morning Pilot Kingsford-Smith started off to do his share in attempting to catch up the lost time, and, at his own request, undertook to fly the 1600 miles which remained to be covered before Tuesday evening, when the train connection at Geraldton must be caught. Fie landed at Broome during the morning, and after lunch he flew to Derby and back to Broome. His movements all down the coast were recorded by telegraph, until he pickc-d up the time-table, and then cruised along the remaining hundreds cf miles until the completion of the journey at Geraldton at the usual time.