IMPERIAL AIR SERVICES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20054, 11 March 1935, Page 9

IMPERIAL AIR SERVICES

RAPID EXTENSION OF ROUTES

DEMAND FOR SPEED DEPRECATED

United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received March 10, 6.30 p.m.)

LONDON, March 9. “The Times,” welcoming as an important step to finality, the Australian Cabinet’s approval to a tentative air service agreement, says: “There will be no difficulty about the adhesion of New Zealand when Australia decides to come in. The scheme will Increase to more than 5,000,000 miles the annual mileage flown by the Imperial Airways, and will also involve a vast amount of preparatory work, some of which Is already in hand.” Sir Eric Geddes (chairman of the Imperial Airways) addressing the Press Club, said the assistance of the Post Office and Air Ministry would enable air mails to be carried throughout the Empire at lid per oz. at a much less proportional subsidy. The Imperial Airways operated at a lower subsidy than any similar enterprise, and when the Empire Governments accepted the new scheme, the percentage of subsidy to earned revenue would be halved. A wave of speed hysteria swept over the world after the Melbourne air race, but safety, comfort, reliability and a reduction of strain were equally essential, and the new Empire aeroplanes provided these. It would cost £500,000 to increase the speed from 100 to 200 miles an hour, on a seven or ten day route, whereas the total civil vote was only £600,000. Moreover, the increase would save only one day on the journey. It was not worth going entirely for speed or frequency. That was going headlong to bankruptcy.