AERIAL SERVICES.

Taranaki Daily News, 12 January 1920, Page 5

AERIAL SERVICES.

POSTAL AND DEFENCE. COMMENTS BY POSTMASTERGENERAL.. Further experiments are in progress in connection with the proposed establishment of postal air service routes In various parts of the Dominion. Speaking to a Wellington Times representative, the Hon. J. G. Coates, Post-master-General, stated that in England such services have already proved a commercial success in cases where ordinary rates have been charged; but, strange to say, where excess rates have been levied the services had not been eommrcially successful. Up to 200 miles or so, added Mr- Coates, the aeroplane could compete to adavntage with the telegraph and the telephone, so there should be a good future before the postal air service in New Zealand. "I believe there are great possibilities In it," he said; "though perhaps not so long as our population is little more than a million. If we could amalgamate the aeroplane defence service wjth the postal air service it would, I think, be a very good proposition. Our great difficulty at present is the lack of sufficient machines of the right stamp. We must be passenger carrying 'planes to make a success of it, Each machine must be able to carry at least two passengers in addition to the crew."