AVIATION CONFERENCE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19129, 25 September 1936, Page 4

AVIATION CONFERENCE

TASMAN SERVICE PLANS SEARCH FOR AGREEMENT ASSEMBLY OF DELEGATES (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The Australian and New Zealand Governments are expecting to settle several important points of difficulty as the result of the conference which opened this morning in Parliament Building with representatives of Britain, Australia and New Zealand participating. The conference is fairly large numerically as well as being influential, and the old Legislative Council chamber with its committee rooms has been placed at‘ the disposal -of the conference, for it is recognised that the discussions may be prolonged. The-gathering took its origin in the decision of the New Zealand Ministers several months ago that outstanding questions affecting both sides of the Tasman could only be settled by personal talks. It was found impossible, owing to the Labour Government’s active legislative programme in its first session, to spare Ministers for a visit to Australia. Therefore, the invitation went from Wellington to Hbe Commonwealth, which has responded by sending Sir Archdale Parkhill, the Minister of Defence and a former PostmasterGeneral of the Commonwealth, Mr. H. P. Brown, director of postal services, Captain Johnston, the controller of civil aviation. Mr. M. L. Shepherd, secretary of the Defence Department, and Mr. M. B. Murray, the chief inspector of postal services. TRADE AND DEFENCE Though trade and defence questions will eventually receive attention, it is evident that the first business is the extension of the Croydpn-Brisbane biweekly air mail across the Tasman to New Zealand. There is a difficulty over the Australian acceptance of the Imperial Government’s proposals, which involve a very liberal subsidy, as the British scheme provides for a postage rate of ljd and no air mail surcharge, all first-class matter being taken by the fastest route. A schedule worked out over a year ago for the former Post-master-General showed that modern four-engined seaplanes, under construction for Imperial Airways, could transport all New Zealand’s first-class overseas mail if two trips weekly across the Tasman were arranged, but ljd postage would conflict with Australia’s internal postage rate of 2d. The presence of Mr F. G. L. Bertram, of the civil branch of the British Air Ministry, at the conference will assist to secure an all-round agreement. Mr. Bertram’s visit, which is likely to be fairly lengthy, also involves advice regarding the development of commercial aviation in the Dominion. CABINET COMMITTEE. The Cabinet committee attending today’s conference for the discussion of overseas air mail questions consisted of the Hon. W. Nash, Minister of Finance, the Hou. F. Jones, PostmasterGeneral, the Hon. R. Semple, in his capacity as Minister of Transport, and the Hon. P. Fraser, Minister of Marine. This committee with the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, informally met Mr. Bertram and Mr. P. Leishing, of the High Commissioner’s Office, Canberra, yesterday, when Mr. G. McNamara,” the director-general of the Post Office, and Wing-Commander T. M. Wilkes, Director of Civil Aviation, and Mr. 11. H. Cornish, the Crown Solicitor, were also present.

Sir Archdale Parkhill arrives in New Zealand next week.

It- is not expected that anything will be divulged during the lengthy deliberations of the conference, the Prime Minister remarking that important issues were involved and it "would not be fair to all interests concerned to have public statements until decisions could be reached. For that reason he preferred not to disclose the details of tne order paper, although he agreed that more than one subject would receive attention during this unique opportunity for. a round-table discussion.