MAILS BY AIR.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 April 1920, Page 4

MAILS BY AIR.

THREE OR FOUR ROUTES. ISOLATED PLACES CONNECTED. (By Our Special Reporter.) Stratford, Last Night. The Hon. J. 8. Coates, PostwosterGetieral, informed a Daily News reporter yesterday that the question of aerial postal services was receiving the earnest attention of the Postal Department. A definite plan, of action had been decided upon and a committee was now at work inqxiiring- into the most suitable and:'necessary routes and the best landing places.

'Asked when a start was likely to bo made in the regular services, the Minister saiid that that depended upon the committee's recommendations, and lie could not say anything-definite at present. His idea was that the air services should be under the control of the Postal Department, with the co-opera-, tion of the Defence Department, so that the machines .could serve the dual purpose of postal and defence requirements. At first, he thought, about three or four routes would be decided upon, and it was likely that isolated' places, such as Gisborne, would receive early attention. The Minister mUd not say whether a seaplane service between New Plymouth and Auckland was likely to be established in the near future. "All I can say is that all the experiments we havfc held have met with wonderful" suooests, and whatever is done will be done gradually. We do not contemplate going in for any large and expensive schemes. The service will have to he self-support-ing, as far as 5 possible," added the Minister.