EMPIRE AIR MAILS.

Evening Star, Issue 22446, 17 September 1936, Page 10

EMPIRE AIR MAILS.

A decision which should mean the dawn of a new era in Australian and New Zealand aviation was made in Canberra yesterday. The Federal Cabinet has announced that it will participate in the British Government’s proposal for linking up the dominions in an Empire air mail scheme, .the details of which have not yet been completed. The decision marks the end of prolonged negotiations between the British and Australian Federal Governments, based chiefly on the latter’s unwillingness to subordinate its own airway ambitions to the greater issue of Imperial unity. In the realm of winged transport Australians have made a great name for themselves, and one can sympathise with them in their reluctance to sink to a certain extent their individuality. However, the British proposal, constituting the last word in comprehem sive progress, was too tempting to be rejected off-handediy. Those aware of its significance will always have entertained the hope that the Federal Government would ultimately see reason. It is not difficult to understand how this pleasing capitulation on the part of the Federal Government will affect New Zealand. It means that the flying-boat service which is contemplated will be extended across the Tasman to the Dominion. If the service from Great Britain were not carried on as far as Australia, it would he unlikely that arrangements could be made for New Zealand to participate in the scheme. The inauguration of a direct service to this country from Singapore has been suggested, but, in view of the increasing need for collaboration between the Dominion and Australia, it is doubtful if such a step would meet all requirements. New Zealand, therefore/ can be thankful that the Commonwealth Government has brought the negotiations to such a satisfactory conclusion. The British scheme, which was first given publicity about a year and a half ago, has everything to .commend it. Its purpose is to link up the whole of the Empire and offer a speedy mail service at ordinary postage rates. In Australia’s eyes it may at first have seemed incongruous that she should be asked to enter into an agreement for fifteen years and pay an annual subsidy of £150,000, as well as bear landing area costs for a service that she herself would not control. It is doubtful, however, whether the grounds ' for the Australian objections still prevail. In her dealings with her offspring the Motherland has never been inconsiderate or ungenerous, and, although the arrangements which have brought the issue to its happy conclusion have not been made public, it may safely be assumed that Australia has received fair treatment. Whether it is better to use flying boats or land planes on certain routes is a subject which still causes discussion, and, in some cases, argument. For instance, it was recently stated by an authority interested in the Amerian plans to cross the Pacific to New Zealand that land planes for that particular purpose would be more suitable, the reason being that sheltered water large enough in area to enable flying boats to descend was difficult to find. However, laymen in such matters might reasonably be excused if they express a preference for flying over wide expanses of sea in a machine that will stand a chance of floating for at least some time if forced to come clown. The British Government, we can be assured, will have weighed every consideration in the balance before deciding to utilise flying boats in its Empire scheme. Decent experiments with the first ot these giants of the air to be built for the service inspire groat confidence.

Air travel in New Zealand has a great “ booster ” in Paul Boesoh, the popular American wrestler. On every available opportunity he travels by air, and, following his last appearance in Dunedin, he flew all around Christchurch and went to the West Coast, where it rained considerably, but cleared long enough for he and his wife to fly all around the glaciers. “ They were beautiful,” he declared, “ .and we will always remember that trip.” “ The permanent surfacing of trunk routes and radial highways, which carry a sustained volume of traffic, resulted in the completion, during the past year, of 277 miles of dustless pavement,” states the Minister of Works in his annual statement. ”At March 31, 1936, the total length of highways thus surfaced was 1,943 miles, which is 16 per' cent, of the total main highways system. This class of work will be continued during the current year, the intention being to concentrate primarily upon the main arterial routes, although other_ highway sections will receive attention where traffic considerations and maintenance costs justify this form - of surfacing.” Graziers and country butchers operated for wethers during the sale of fat sheep at Burnside yesterday, and the sale continued on an even level at a decline of approximately Is a head, compared with last week. Only near the finish did values firm to the late parity. Odd pens of hoggets brought recent rates. Prices; —Extra prime heavy wethers, to 40s 9d; prime heavy, 34s 6d to 38s; medium, 31s 6d to 33s 6d; light, from 29s 6d; extra prime heavy ewes, to 355; prime heavy, 31s 6d to 33s 6d; medium, 27s 3d to 29s 9d; light, from 235. Although the new boys’ high school established in South Dunedin has been known locally as the King’s High School, that name has not been officially recognised by the Education Department, by which it has been known as the South Dunedin Boys’ High School. When the Minister of Education (the Hon. P. Fraser) visited the school recently, however, the rector (Mr D. S. Chisholm) made, the request that the school should be officially recognised as the “ King’s High School.” This request was supported by the Board of Governors, and-the latter has now received advice from the Minister that he approves of the school being known by that name. ' Speaking in connection with the proposal put forward by the Otago High Schools’ Board yesterday that the City Council should purchase some chains of pathway, the mayor (Mr E. T. Cox) stated that no moneys were available for the purchase of land. During the depression, he said, the limited the expenditure on road widening and other projects to £2,000. The Postal authorities advise that the Karetu, which is due at Bluff from Sydney on Monday, has 32 bags of Australian mail for Dunedin, also the English air mails of August 22 and 29 and September 2. The mail should be to hand on Monday night. At to-day’s meeting of the Otago Education Board, the architect reported that a commencement has been made with the work at the new Caversham infant school. with the board’s own men, satisfactory_ arrangements having been come to with the department’s architect. The members of the Australian Rugby team that played Southland at Invercargill yesterday passed through Dunedin by the express this morning on their way to Christchurch, where a match will be played on Saturday against Canterbury. The team is at present being managed by Mr W. H. Cerutti, in place of Mr Gordon Shaw," who was detained in Wellington by illness. Though they have not been very successful in their matches on the tour, the members of the team speak in high E raise of the hospitality which they ave received on all hands, and are unanimous in their opinion that the trip through New Zealand has been a highly enjoyable one. In a letter recently received from a pen friend on the Gold Coast (Africa), a Dunedin youth found a _ square of monkey skin. “ This is a piece of the skin from the monkeys we have here,” said the writer, who also requested that he be sent a football jersey and knee cap, as he was making a collection from all over the world. When taking a load of cement from Tarakohe to West Wanganui the motor vessel Gael (95 tons) humped on the West Wanganui bar. Having sprung a leak, the vessel came on to Nelson this morning for repairs.—Press Association. The postal authorities advise that the English mail despatched from Dunedin on August 15 via Vancouver and New York reached Loudon on Monday last, and the air mail which left Dunedin on August 26 was received in London on Tuesday. The Benevolent Committee of the Otago Hospital Board reports.that during "last month 14 cases for relief were dealt with at a weekly cost of £8 15s lid. Casual cases for relief involving the expenditure of £435 10s 9d were approved. Eye strain —for eye comfort, for better vision, consult Sturmer and Watson Ltd., opticians, 2 Octagon, Dunedin. —[Advt.]