TASMAN AIR MAILS

Evening Star, Issue 22457, 30 September 1936, Page 8

TASMAN AIR MAILS

EXTENSION OF EMPIRE SERVICE NO MAJOR DIFFICULTIES FORESEEN [From Our Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, September 30. The air mail conference between re* presentatives of Britain, Australia, and New Zealand has proceeded steadily in private at Parliament Building, and until their decisions have been reached it has been agreed among the delegates that no public statement is to be issued. The aspect of the conference on which the transtasman air mail service depends will conclude on Friday, when Sir Archdale Parkhill (Commonwealth Minister of Defence) and the Australian postal heads are to leave by the Awatea for Sydney.

Despite the lack of information _ regarding the conference itself, sufficient has been made public in the Federal Parliament to suggest that there is no outstanding difficulty over the extension of the Croydon-Brisbane air service across the Tasman, as Australian opinion, which was formerly against the use of seaplanes, has been modified. Sir Archdale, answering questions from Mr Curtin, the Leader of the Opposition in the Federal Parliament, just before his departure for New Zealand, stated that he had been invited to New Zealand to discuss the section of the route between Australia and New Zealand—-not the whole scheme. This proposal involved the use of large flying boats. Mr Curtin then asked: Will the flying boats end at Sydney or Darwin P Sir Archdale Parkhill replied: Under the proposal they will stop at New Zealand. . . ■He contended that the negotiations by Austraia had resulted in a saving to the Commonwealth of £IOO,OOO, compared with the original British proposals, though finality had not been reached in this respect. The delegates were entertained at luncheon by the Government to-day.