MAILS BY AEROPLANES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 16680, 1 March 1920, Page 4

MAILS BY AEROPLANES.

DOMINION EXPERIMENTS. ’ Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Feb. 28. A successful trial of conveying mqils by seaplane made in December last between Auckland and Durgaville has encouraged the Postmaster-General to make a fairly substantial experiment with seaplanes, and next week mail matter will he carried by machines from Auckland City to Thames, AViiangarci and Dargaville. Mr. Coates informed a Pest reporter to-day that an agreement had been entered into with the New Zealand Flying School at Auckland for experimental flights for tho carriage of mails extending over a, period of a month or two months. There would probably bo two trips a week every third week over each ot the routes named. In these experimental trips the contractors take all the risks of loss or accident. Tho department, as the weather is tho ruling factor, will not bo able to give more, than a day’s notice ot a projected departure. No additional rate is to he charged during tho trial service for letters, but when regular trips arc inaugurated it is proposed to impose special rates as letters would really ho tclcgram-lcttcrs without limitation of words. He thought they would ho very popular. Mr. Coates hopes that when more powerful machines are available and tho benzine shortage is not so acute trial trips will be ipade over other routes.