RUSH TRANSIT.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20295, 3 May 1934, Page 14

RUSH TRANSIT.

Air Mail Service to Australia. TWO WEEKS SAVED. (Special to the ” Star.”) .MELBOURNE, April 20. Now that the London-Australia Air Mail tenders have been announced, the Australian postal authorities, in cooperation with the British PostmasterGeneral, will take immediate steps to draw up a mail schedule which will guarantee a maximum saving of time and expen.e. The probable transit time will be fourteen days, and the postage rate about Is 6d a half-ounce for letters and 8d for postcards. Charges will be made between London and all Australian capitals on a flat rate basis. “ We have no doubt that for business and commercial purposes the new air mail will be exceedingly popular,” the Director-General of Postal Services (Mr Brown) said to-day. “ The service will be of especial value in cases where important documents have to be transmitted quickly. “In arranging the air-mail schedule the department will aim at reducing to a minimum the delay between times of arrival and despatch.” The present air postage rate between London and Singapore is lid a halfounce for letters. Mr Brown pointed out to-day that the charges to Australia w’ould have to be substantially greater. The distance from Darwin to Melbourne alone was 2000 miles, entailing heavy additional running costs. Comparative Mail Times. Present mail transit times between the Australian capitals and London, and the savings which will be effected when the new air mail operates, are shown in the following table: — . o £ |S'cs £C « < Vli ee§.tj gli §§ C<< ><< 55 Hays. Days. Days. Days’. Melbourne .... 30 29 26 14 Sydney 31 30 27 3 4 Brisbane 32 31 28 13 Adelaide 29 28 25 15 Perth 26 26 23 15 Tt will be noted that at least a fortnight is saved in most instances.