Weekly Service

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 76, Issue 109, 11 May 1933, Page 7

Weekly Service

AIR MAIL TO AUSTRALIA MINISTER’S MEMORANDUM (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) Received May 10, 5,5 p.m. LONDON, May 9. The Air Minister, Lord Londonderry, has issued a memorandum embodying the principal provisions for a weekly service from London to Australia, connecting with a steamer for New Zealand. The, proposed contract with Imperial Airways provides for a service between Karachi and Singapore, via Calcutta and Rangoon, connecting with the London-Karachi and SingaporeDarwin services. The agreement with Imperial Airways will run for approximately five years, commencing from the date of tho opening of tho Darwin-Singapore section, and terminating on March 1, 1939, on which date the existing AngloIndian service agreement expires. The Karachi-Singapore section will be operated jointly by Imperial Airways and an Indian company. The maximum subsidies for the Karachi-Singapore service will be £40,000 for the first year of the through service to Australia, £30,000 for the second and third years, and thereafter £20,000 annually. The Governments of India, the Straits Settlements, and Malaya have undertaken to provide and maintain landing grounds and other facilities, including wireless mcteorolagical reports for their territories.

For through mails between England and Australia Imperial Airways and the Indian company will receive 24s a pound. Lord Londonderry says that the simultaneous inauguration of the Kara-chi-Singapore and Darwin-Singapore services is impracticable, therefore he proposes an interim service to Calcutta in July, Rangoon in October, and Singapore by the New Year, in connection with* which ho is arranging special temporary terms. Ho confidently expects the Darwin-Singapore section to operate by April. The inclusive charge for a halfounce letter from Britain to Australia and New Zealand will be Is 3d. BY NEXT APRIL SERVICE IN OPERATION Received May 10, 10.5 p.m. CANBERRA. May 10. Sir George Pearce, Minister of De fence, announced to-day that if plans develop at the present rate the Singa-pore-Darwin air-mail service will be in operation by next April. A survey of this route is now being made by Flight-Lieutenant Ross. SAVING OF TIME AN OFFICIAL STATEMENT. WELLINGTON, May 10. The Secretary, General Post Office, states that the service is being arranged by the British and Australian post offices, the cost of the service, it is understood, to be shared by the two countries on the basis of mileage—approximately three-fifths by tho United Kingdom and two-fifths by Australia. Great Britain will bo rosponsiblo for the extension from Karachi to Singapore, and Australia for the SingaporeAustralia section. The charge proposed for letters dispatched from Great Britain to Australia and New Zealand is Is 3d for each half-ounce (air-mail fee and postage combined). The same rate would probably apply from New Zealand to Great Britain. It is estimated that the transit time London to Sydney by the proposed air service will, at the commencement, at any rate, be 18 days, making a transit time London to New Zealand of 22 days if connection is made at Sydney on the sailing day (Friday) with the New Zealand weekly steamer. This transit compared with an average transit time of 30 days between New Zealand and Great Britain. Assuming that the air-mail service from Australia to England would commence at Sydney on Tuesdays, following the arrival of tho New Zealand steamer —and the New Zealand Post Office has not information on this point at present—it is estimated that the acceleration in delivery in Great Britain will vary from four days to twenty days.

Until the service is extended right through to Australia, it will offer little, if any, advantage for the dispatch of letters.