TRANSTASMAN AIR SERVICE

Evening Star, Issue 22441, 11 September 1936, Page 6

TRANSTASMAN AIR SERVICE

NEW ZEALAND’S POSITION NO DISPUTE WITH PAN-AMERICAH COMPANY fPEs United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 10. Commenting on the cablegram from London quoting the remarks of the journal ‘ Aeroplane ’ concerning the negotiations between the Pan-American Airways and New Zealand for the Pacific air route, the Minister of Transport (Mr Semple) stated that in his opinion it was unfair to the Pan-American Airways to suggest that they were attempting to hold a pistol at the head of the New Zealand Government. No one could have been fairer and more reasonable in bis approach to the Government than Mr H. Gatty, representing the Pan-American Airwavs, had been, Mr Semple said. Aloreover, it was incorrect to say that there was any dispute between the Pan-American Company and the New Zealand Government. _ There were certain particulars in which the Pan-American Company had in a perfectly reasonable way asked for a modification of the existing agreement, but to suggest that there, was a dispute between the parties was very wide of the mark. So far as learning its lesson was concerned the New. Zealand Government had always been anxious that agreements of this sort should be negotiated between the Governments and the discussions between the New Zealand and the United States Governments had not been, prevented, so far as he knew, by any act of the PanAmerican Airways. It was only because the Government of New Zealand was anxious for the whole matter of the transpacific transport to be discussed between the Imperial Government and the Government of the United States of America that it had not already concluded its discussions on this matter.

“Negotiations are still proceeding,” added the Minister, “ and the Imperial authorities ha j been kept informed at every stage of what is being done.”-