EMPIRE PRESS UNION

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 588, 14 February 1929, Page 9

EMPIRE PRESS UNION

“CABLE MERGER TRIUMPH”

QUESTION OF AIR ROUTES lAustralian and N.Z. Press Association) LONDON, Tuesday. The annual meeting of the Empire Press Union was held to-day, the chairman, Viscount Burnham, presiding. The treasurer, Major J. J. Astor, chairman of the Times Publishing Co., spoke of the desire of the union to make next year’s conference worthy of its increased prestige. Sir Robert Donald, an ex-chairman, moved the adoption of the annual report. He hailed the wireless-cables merger as a triumph for the union. Major Nicholson (Ceylon) disclo*scd the fact that Imperial Airways, Ltd., had decided that the acceleration of the Australian mail services did not justify -Lin air line from Bombay to Ceylon, from which other revenue was inadequate, so it had abandoned the idea. He appealed to the council to urge the Governments of India and Ceylon to provide an air line on national and inter-imperial grounds. Sir Harry Brittain, M.P., emphasised the need for the provision by the British Government of such air lines, including one to the West Indies, where otherwise the Americans would step in. Mr. Theodore Fin, of Melbourne, said Australia could, in effect, be brought half-way to England by proper air routes. Certainly there were much finer mail steamers nowadays t%m ever before, but the fares were douule and the journey took a day longer than when the union was formed. Australia had yet to be satisfied that the wireless-cables merger would mean an adequtae reduction in the scale of charges and the development of the services. He had some experience of large corporations, and was convinced that the union should never cease striving to achieve the cheapening of rates and improved facilities. The meeting remitted to the council the matter of air routes. Lord Burnham was re-elected chairman.