OVERSEAS MAILS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 190, 8 May 1940, Page 8

OVERSEAS MAILS

Average Times Taken In Transit EFFECTS OF NEW TASMAN SERVICE In spite of the difficulties brought about by wartime conditions, Post Office officials consider that the time taken in transit by mails between New Zealand and tbe United Kingdom has maintained a satisfactory average within recent months. Outward surface mails to the United Kingdom, it is stated, have recently been averaging 38 days. This includes mails dispatched via Canada and the United States of America, and also mails sent by vessels using direct routes.

It is understood that delays occurred to mails toward the end of last year, but these are believed to have been’ caused by the operations of the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee. Since this danger was removed by the successful engagement, in which the New Zealand cruiser HALS. Achilles took part, no further undue delays have occurred.

Inward mails from the United Kingdom to New Zealand, it is stated, are averaging 40 days by all routes. “This is very satisfactory when you come to consider all the difficulties created since the outbreak of war,” said an official yesterday. “Though the dates of dispatch cannot be advertised, for obvious reasons, every effort is made by the department to forward mails by the most expeditious means possible.’ When inquiries were made as to the times taken by airmail dispatched from New Zealand by the Empire flyingboats, via Australia, it was stated that of late outward mails had been averaging 19 days for the journey from New Zealand to London. The time taken for airmails from London to the Dominion had averaged at 22 days. These averages were taken out before the inauguration of Tasman Empire Airways’ service toward the end of last month. As yet it is too soon to judge the effects of this new service between Sydney and Auckland, but a further reduction in the times taken by airmail to and from countries beyond Australia is expected. It is believed that the average saving in time for outward and inward mails will amount to four days. With the inauguration of the Tasman flying-boat service, Post Office officials consider that the average transit times for airmail to and from New Zealand and the United Kingdom will be very little more than two weeks.