TRIBUTE PAID

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVII, Issue 23113, 30 January 1945, Page 4

TRIBUTE PAID

Transport Organisations (N.Z.P.A.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 29. A return showing the scope of the services rendered by the Royal New Zealand Air Force during the recent sectional railway hold-up was made available to-night by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser). One hundred and eight flights were made and a total of 30,638 miles flown. Passengers carried totalled 1415, and mail carried amounted to 24,9331 b. Passenger miles totalled 398,358, and 2771 mail tons were flown.

Mr Fraser expressed the thanks of the Government and the country to the officers and men of the Air Force who organised and operated the passenger and mail services between Auckland and Wellington, and on the Auckland-Gisborne-Wellington route, as well as mail services throughout the Auckland area. They did fine work for the passengers directly affected by the various railway stoppages and for people living in many localities whose mail would otherwise have been held up. It was a fine job in both organisation and operation. Indeed, it was a model of enterprise and efficiency, and all Officers and ranks concerned were entitled to the highest appreciation. “I would also like to thank the Army for its ver" complete organisation to meet anv emergency in regard to the transportation of essential commodities required for both war and civilian purposes which might have arisen through the prolongation or extension of the trouble,” said Mr Fraser. “Fortunately the general co-operation of the transport organisations, both workers and employers, and the general loyalty of the railwaymen as a whole to their unions apd to their country, rendered assistance from the Army unnecessary during the railway crisis. Both the Railway Department and the Transport Department, did splendid work in thoroughly organising the available transport in dislocated districts. So also in many wavs did the Post and Telegraph Department.”