NO ADVICE FROM AUSTRALIA

Southland Times, Issue 23538, 18 June 1938, Page 6

NO ADVICE FROM AUSTRALIA

EMPIRE AIR MAIL SERVICE ACCURACY OF MESSAGE QUESTIONED (United Press Association) •' CHRISTCHURCH, June 17. “Up to yesterday afternoon we had received no advice from the Federal Government about the Empire air-mail service," said the Postmaster-General (the Hon. F. Jones) in a telephone interview this morning. The Minister refused to comment on the situation until such time as official advice was received. He said that the New Zealand Government had been waiting for a reply for some time, but he was not prepared to accept the Press cable as being authentic or accurate. “On the other hand,” he said, “the Australian authorities might be doing just a little bit of kite-flying.” STATEMENT MADE BY MINISTER REPLY NOT RECEIVED BY GOVERNMENT (United Press Association) GREYMOUTH, June 17. Interviewed this morning about the Sydney cablegram concerning the Empire air-mail service, the PostmasterGeneral (the Hon. F. Jones) stated that he did not know whether the statement that the New Zealand Government must make its own agreement with the Qantas Company for the carriage of mails was correct. 1 The Statement did not seem to square with Government expectations and he doubted its correctness. The Government had been awaiting a reply from Australia but so far as he knew no reply had been received up to yesterday afternoon. Meanwhile, he withheld any more comment. Mr Jones had arrived at Greymouth by aeroplane from Wellington on departmental business.

REPLY STILL BEING AWAITED NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN GOVERNMENTS (United Press Association) GREYMOUTH, June 17. Questioned today about the reported statement of Mr H. B. C. Thorby, Commonwealth Minister of Defence, that Australian air mails for England will have first call on the space in the flying-boats when the new Empire service is inaugurated next month, the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) said such a statement was somewhat surprising in view of the fact that up to the time he had left Wellington that morning no advice had been received from the Federal Government to that effect. As a matter of fact, he said, the Government was still awaiting a reply about certain negotiations between all the governments concerned, those of Great Britain, Australia and New Zealand.

“It is most surprising to read such a cable in view of the fact that no advice has been received from the Commonwealth Government,” added the Minister. “Because of what has happened, I doubt very much that Mr Thorby could have made such a statement.”