MAILS BY AIR

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 22, 22 December 1932, Page 7

MAILS BY AIR

ENGLAND TO AUSTRALIA. OPERATING WITHIN SHORT PERIOD. OFFER UNDER CONSIDERATION. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) Received December 22, 10.10 a.m. RUGBY, Dec. 21. Sir Philip Sassoon, Under-Secretary for Air, in reply to a question in the House of Commons, said it was impossible to give a definite forecast regarding the proposed British-Australian air mail, but it was believed that it would bo in operation within a few months of taking the decision. The interim offer of the Royal Dutch Indian Airways to provide a service pending the establishment of the British-Australian air mail was under consideration by the Government in consultation with the Australian Government.

IMPORTANCE TO NEW ZEALAND

The decision of the Federal Government to establish an aerial service from Darwin to Singapore, to link up with the service to and from London, now being operated by Imperial Airways, is of vital interest to New Zealand, and in estimating the possible revenuo the volumo of mail matter likely to go from the Dominion has been taken into the reckoning. Mails will be delivered in London 17 days after leaving Sydney, which means that Wellington and Auckland will be brought within 20 days of London, providing a schedule is adopted to suit the intercolonial mail boats across the Tasman.

It is possible that, as a result of negotiations with Imperial Airways, a faster service will be provided, for it is thought that at least three more days can be saved—two by Imperial Airways and one by the Australian company that will provide the service to Singapore. The scheme, which lias met with the approval of the Federal Government, will provide for a complete readjustment of all aerial mail services in Australia so- as to eliminate every kind of waste and overlapping. Tho new proposals to link Australia with England land will involve the flying of 871,000 miles a year. COST OF THE SERVICES.

It is believed that the new scheme, including overseas and internal sendees, can be obtained for tho cost to the Federal Government in subsidies not greater than the cost in subsidies of the existing services. The payment last year was £93,000, and the revenue from tho services, all within Australia, was £12,000, or an average of 2s lid a mile. It is believed that the net cost of the new services would be only Is lid a mile.

In estimating the amount of mail matter likely to be carried between Danvin and Singapore, the Government, following the lead of the special committee which considered the matter, lias taken a more conservative view than tho British postal officials. It is believed that in the first 12 months the average weekly mail would bo 191 lb outward and 2011 b inward, increasing within six years to 4151 b outward and 4351 b inward. Tho British Post Office thinks that the average amount of mail matter each week should reach 3001 b within a few months, and soon amount to 6001 b or more.