SCHEME APPROVED

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1932, Page 8

SCHEME APPROVED

AU.STRALIA-ENULAND AIR MAIL

LINKING UP THE NEW SYSTEM

SYDNEY, Decern be,. 8

The decision -of the Federal Government to establish an aerial service from Darwin to Singapore, to link up with the service to and from London, now being operated by Imperial Airways, is of vital interest to New Zealand, and in estimating the possible revenue the volume of mail matter likely to come from the Dominion ha-s been taken into the reckoning. Mails will be cieliveied in London 17 days after leaving Sydney, which means that Wellington a-nd Auckland will be brought w.thin 20 days of London, providing a schedule is adopted to suit the intercolonial mail boats across the Tasman.

I It is possible that, a s a result of negotiations with Imperial Airways, a faster service- 'will be .provided, for it is thought that at leant three more days can be saved—two by Imperial Airways and one by the Australian eompar.v that will provide the -service to Singapore. The scheme, which has mot with the approval of the Federal Government, will provide for a compl tp. ie< xkastment of all aerial mail services in Australia so as to eliminate every kind of waste and overlapping. The mew proposals to link Australia with England will involve the flying 1 of 871,00(3 mile.s a year. COST OF THE SERVICE.

It is-(believed that thp new scheme, including overseas and internal services, can be obtained for the cost to the

Federal Government in subsidies not greater than the cost in subsidies of the existing services. The payment last year was £93,000, and the revenue from the services, all within Australia, was £12,000, or an average of 2s lid a m le. it is belie\ed that the not cost (.f the new services would be only is lid a mde. In - estimating the amount of mail matter likely to be carried between Darwin and Singapore, the Government, following the le-d of the special committee which considered the matter, 1 he -s taken a more conservative view 1 than the British postal officials. It is be'ieved that in the first 12 months the average weekly mail would be 19l!b outward and 2011 b inward, increasing within s ix years' to 4151 b outward and 4351 b inward. The British Post Office, flunks that the average amount of mail matter each week should reach 3001 b within a few months, and scon amount to 6001 b or more. ! FEES FOR CARRIAGE. • 1

An inclusive air mail fee of Is 6?1 for earh half-ounce to be carried to England has been recommended, and it is safe to say that i-s the rate that will ultimately be adopted. Tenders will bn invited from Australian companies. Thev are likely to come from Australian National Airways, Quantas (a wealthy •Queensland company) -and West Austifaligp,. Airways, which now -operates thb East-West air tnad and a service to North-west Australia. West- Australian Airways has a fleet of modern craft- a.nd A.'N.A. has four Amo Ten (Fokker) tri-metor planes suitable for over-water work.

Possibly other interests will tender for the cow cervices and it is. possible that the. three companies mentioned will combine with the idea of providing the' service to Singapore as well as the inland services that will be run in conjunction with it. To date that spirit Df co-operation has not been shown, but there are hopes that a better understanding will be reached in the interests of all parties concerned, as well as ’of the Commonwealth. EFFORT ON LANDING GROUNDS. A b'gh official of the Air Fort-3; or of the Civil Aviation Department, w’U go to Singapore shortly to join a British airman who- is about to leave England on a flight to Australia. On the flight from Singapore the official will make a detailed report on landing grounds and general conditions. Latitude will be allowed the tenderers in 'submitting their tenders. There wUI be no stipulation as to the type 01 machine to ho used, or -where they are to be made. Nor would the tenders specify the provision of passenger accommodation.

The plan, as endorsed by the Government, will give employment to many mechanics, pilots and ground men. It will not only provide a permanent and regular link with the Mother Country, hut will greatly speed up and improve “X'otir.g services 'within Australia, It is definite that" the contractors must provide their own machines. The distance to be covered by the Australian planes from Darwin to Singapore will, be 2325 miles, and the over-wafer jump to the first stop (Dilli, in l’oituguese Timer) will be c otV,Klernbly shorter than the usual route -followed by airmen, along the 512-mile track to Koepang.

No difficulty is expected in obtaining permission for the service to operate* over foreign country. Owing to the time that will he -required for the preparation of tenders; and other prelim-ii-inn- vot'k, it will ro-obablv be at fea*t 12 months before the new service is inaugurated.