IMPERIAL AIR SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 15, Issue 55, 28 November 1921, Page 5

IMPERIAL AIR SERVICE

A PRACTICABLE SCHEME JOINT SUBSIDY FROM BRITAIN AND DOMINIONS By Telegraph--Press Association—Oopyrighi (Rec. November 26, 5.5 p.m.) London, November 25. Mr. A. 11. Ashbolt, Agent-General for Tasmania, lecturing on. the Imperial Air Service before the Royal Society of Arts, under the presidency of Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, said that an inter-imperial service was practicable with a subsidy of .£500,000 a year contributed jointly by the British and Dominions Governments. Conversations with British Ministers had convinced him that Britain was not only willing to join with the Dominions in an annual subsidy, but would make additional initial contributions for a term of years, provided then was a genuine attempt to continue the service for not less than two years without frittering the money away in desultory experiments. He pointed out that the Imperial Conference Committee in June did not question the necessity or the practicability of an Imperial service and accepted both without qualification. The question was merely one of finance and of whether it should lie carried 1 out by the Government or by ■ commercial enterprise. He expressed the opinion that the latter would bo the case, but Government assistance was necessary to carry thb scheme over the first two years. He assumed that Britain’s cooperation was assured, and was only waiting for similar action on the part of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and India. Mr. Ashbolt congratulated Mr. Hughes on being the first. It only remained for the others to- follow suit and join forces with Britain, whereupon money would be found to establish a service which would create the biggest modern revolution in- transport. Canada was omitted temporarily, because the sea route was the longest and worst within the Empire. He admitted that Zeppelins were a comparative failure in the war, but he attributed it to the absence of mooring masts, then uninvented, wliich preeluded the employment of the airships except in fine weather. The masts new facilitated employment in all weathers. He. pointed out that the cost of construction of airships had been reduced since the. Conference Committee reported. He estimated that the cost of building twelve airships at ..£150,000 each. Seven ships were sufficient for a fortnightly service, as follows: —Australia, via India; South Africa, via Egypt. I’» suggested that the Government inaugurate the service by establishing, a ground plant suitable for the utilisation of existing airships. lor three or four years the first stop must be Egypt, which was destined to become the Clapham Junction of the Imperial service. He anticipated that the Anglo-Australian journey would take ten days, allowing for mooring, embarking, and disembarking passengers at half a dozen ports en route. . Lieut.-Colonel Amery wrote cordially supporting Mr. Ashbolt. Lord Montagu, of Beaulieu paid a tribute to Mr. Ashbolt’s services on the Imperial Conference Committee. He was entitled to the credit for the foremost position airships held to-day \as a commercial proposition. The Empire could not afiord to be left behind regarding aviation America, Japan, France, Germany, ond even Spain were promoting long and short distance aviation. Britain he the premier position at the end of tae war. It was row seriously challenged.— Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.

' AUSTRALIAN-SERVICES TWO ADDITIONAL CONTRACTS. Melbourne, November 26. Contracts have been arranged for two additional subsidised aerial mail services for the carriage of passengers, mails’, and freights, between Adelaide and Sydney, and between Sydney and Brisbane. It is hoped to begin the.services in April. The successful tenderer for tho Adelaide-Sydney service was the Larkin-Sopwith Company, Limited, £ Melbourne, and its subsidy is to oe 4117,500. The contract for tho SydneyBrisbane service goes to I'. L. Robeit, of Brisbane, with a subsidy of 4111,500. —Press Assn.