AIR FERRY

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23111, 27 January 1945, Page 4

AIR FERRY

Continuance To-day

Service Highly Popular (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 26.

It was stated to-night after the receipt of news that the strike had been settled, -that the special R.N.Z.A.F. air service between Wellington and Auckland would continue as scheduled to-morrow. Whether or not it would be continued on subsequent days and, if so, for how long, would not be known till 9 a.m. to-morrow.

People stranded in Wellington with no accommodation and literally no money to pay for it anyhow, are fairly numerous among applicants for priority travel by the special R.N.Z.A.F. air service to Auckland. Many are servicemen, some accompanied by young wives. They have been on holiday on a fairly close budget allowing only sufficient funds to carry them on till the date for which they had booked their return by rail. They get their permits. In view of the urgency of these cases, people with homes in Wellington should understand that they would have to take second place, said an official to-day. There had been many applications from young women wishing to go to Auckland to be bridesmaids, he said. Others wanted to spend their annual leave there. They pleaded that if they stayed at home they would have to do -washing and cooking and would not get a holiday. The answer, sympathetic but adamant, was that at least they had a home. It is probably not surprising that at least 40 per cent of all applicants have "sick relatives in Auckland.” Rather more surprising is the fact that most of them can prove it.

There were again a few people today who failed to report at the time scheduled for departure. Officials suspect that they got cold feet at the prospect of their first flight. Most of them, even elderly wcmen, look forward to it as something of an adventure. Several wounded servicemen back from the Middle East were among the passengers carried to-day. The heaviest passenger carried since the service began was a man weighing 2821 b.

The Air Force officers in charge of the booking arrangements at the railway station, stated to-day that they were enjoying the work. In many cases it. was their first contact with civil life for five years or more. Civilian passengers for their part are getting used to parade-ground treatment. When they are “required to parade” thev do not argue. The service to-day again carried approximately 230 passengers to Auckland, including many servicemen. All planes are fully booked till Monday. The new service linking Gisborne with Wellington and Auckland was inaugurated. The full load of 10 passengers was taken from Wellington to Gisborne.

The priority board to-day up till 4 p.m. issued approximately 280 permits for travel to Auckland and 60 for travel to Gisborne. The queue was larger than on the previous day, and there were more rejections. _

The strike position was discussed at a mass meeting at the Hutt Railway Workshops at noon, more than 800 men being present. A resolution was carried, with few dissentients, reaffirming the previous resolution giving the Tribunal to February 14 to announce its decision on the wages claims. “In view of the definite assurance of the Tribunal in connection with the wages claims and retrospective payment. we urge upon our fellow-trade unionists in the Auckland province and elsewhere to return to work as we are of the opinion that they are wrongly dissipating their strength and destroying unity within the Trades Union movement,” said another resolution. A Rotorua message says that a similar motion was carried at a meeting of strikers by a two to one majority. Tribunal To Sit On Monday (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 26. The Railways Tribunal will hold a sitting at 10 a.m. on Monday in the Commercial Travellers’ Association rooms. The assessors have been summoned to confer with the Tribunal on the wages claim at the conclusion of the public sitting. Westland Stays Out (N.Z.P.A.) GREYMOUTH. Jan. 26. The strike position in Westland is unchanged. The spokesman of the strikers said the Auckland decision to resume had not affected Westland. A mass meeting of strikers has been called for to-morrow afternoon.