EMPIRE AIR MAILS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19135, 2 October 1936, Page 11

EMPIRE AIR MAILS

AUSTRALIA'S ATTITUDE MR. LYONS' STATEMENT SURCHARGE FAVOURED CANBERRA, Slept, 16. The Federal Cabinet to-day considered the proposals of the British Government for the establishment of the Empire air mail flying-boal. service between Britain and Australia., audi at the conclusion of the. meeting, the prime Alinistev, Mr. J. A. Lyons, stated that no final decision had 'been reached by the Cabinet. Air. Lyons indicated, however, that agreement had! been reached, on some points under discussion. What these points were he declined to state, but ho indicated that they would! probably ha.vo to he the .subject of further discussion with the British, Government. It is understood that the Cabinet decided that it could not agree* to the proposal that all first-class mail matter should lie carried 1 at- ordinary rates of postage, )ml, that, it favoured its carriage with a surcharge of 6d a. half ounce in. place of the present surcharge of Is 6d an ounce.

The Cabinet has endorsed the abandonment of a surcharge on all air mails as its ultimate objective, but n strong majority regards the. proposal as premature'at present. It is contended that the transmission of air mails to Britain without a surcharge would lie anomalous while the surcharge is retained on Australia's internal air services. Ministers feel, moreover, that if it were agreed

to carry air mails to Britain at ordinary rates, the demand for the immediate establishment of a general interoapital air mail service on. the same basis would be irresistible, and the Goyernment is not yet prepared to commit itself to lb© expense of these internal reforms. WARM; DISCUSSION It is understood that the discussions at to-day's meeting of the Cabinet, showed' that Ministers were not prepared, to accept the British proposal in its entirety. A long, and, at, times warm, discussion of the. proposal by tho Cabinet ended inconclusively, but a subcommittee was appointed to attempt to resolve the questions still, at issue, and it is probable that a decision will he reached! and, that the committee will_ report to the Cabinet to-morrow morning. An. inlluential section, of the Cabinet, it, is understood, favours a compromise course, the broad basis.of which would bo that ilying-boats should he used: for the service, at least between Singapore and Darwin, and possibly between .Singapore and Sydney, but that the Commonwealth Government should maintain at leaist its present measure of control over the service, and command of its resources as far as in the past.

Tho proposal that the mails should be carried, by llying-boats as far as Darwin and then' transferred to the existing internal system has proved) attractive to a number of Ministers, but- if is thought by some to be open to the objection that the transhipment of mails from flying-boats to land machines at Darwin would be cumbersome and, in some circumstances, difficult. The subcommittee of the Cabinet is now reviewing the compromise proposal. A deputation, of Tasmania)], members of Parliament to-day placed before the Minister of Defence, Sir Archdale Parkhill, a proposal that Hobarb should be made the Australian terminal point of the air mail service from Britain. and the starting point of tho air mail service between, the Commonwealth and j New Zealand. |

Sir Arclidale Parkhill informed the deputation that the whole, .subject of air mails was at present under discussion by the Federal Cabinet, and ho undertook to place the wishes of the .•deputation before the Cabinet, .. ■.-. ;