AIR TRANSPORT.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 June 1921, Page 5

AIR TRANSPORT.

AN EMPIRE SERVICE. NEW ZEALAND INCLUDED. LONDON IN TEN DAYS' -—— ■■ j By Telegraph.— Press Assn.—Copyright. London, June 7. Mr. Ashbolt, Agent-General for Tasmania, informed the Australian Press that he was co-operating with Vickers, Ltd., in the promotion of an Imperial British Airships Company, and to organise a mail and passenger air service with a capital of £1,500,000. The first issue will be £750,000, of which the Empire Governments will have the option of taking up the following proportions: Britain £375,000, India, Australia and South Africa £lOO,OOO each, New Zealand £55,000, Malay States £20,000. Egypt will have the option of joining later. Should the British Government prefer to confine its contribution to the free gift of aeroplanes and materials its £375,000 shares will be offered to the public with a guarantee of 7% per cent, interest. All the Governments must undertake to transmit mails by air service and steamers, and also to share losses and on the British half and the overseas half for ten years; after that the company will stand on its own bottom.

It is proposed that the first service shall be to Egypt, and that subsequently it shall be extended to India, Australia and South Africa. The ports of call will include Marseilles, Athens, Cairo, Basra, Bombay, Colombo, Singapore, Java, Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Wellington, and Capetown. The first plant will comprise the existing British ships, which will probably suffice for a few years. It is anticipated these will be capable of reaching India and South Africa in five days, and Australia and New Zealand in ten or twelve days. It is anticipated that in the experimental stages losses will be inevitable, but that the service will ultimately be profitable. Each participating Government will nominate one director, except Britain, which will have two. The public will have five directors, if the latter take up the shares, while if Britain exercises her option to take over the 375,000 shares, she will nominate five instead of the public. The British Government has undertaken to submit the scheme to the Imperial Conference. It is understood the Air Ministry favors the proposals in principle, without committing itself to the details. Received June 8, 5.5 p.m. London, June 7. Mr. W. F. Massey, interviewed, said he preferred to reserve consideration of the air service company until the question was before the Imperial Confer-ence.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.