OVERSEAS MAILS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 July 1938, Page 3

OVERSEAS MAILS

FEATURES OF THE COMING CHANGE. DRASTIC CUT IN TRANSIT TIME. From eighteen pence to three halfpence is to be the revolutionary change in air-mail postage to the United Kingdom from New Zealand. The new rate of lid each half ounce is to be introduced on July 26 (superseding the old Id rate), and the Empire air service will then provide the normal means of forwarding all letters posted in New Zealand for the home countries. The new Empire service will be inaugurated from Australia with the departure of the flying boat from Sydney on August 9 (due London, August 19), and the last New Zealand mails to connect with the initial flight under the nfew scheme will be those despatched from Wellington on August 4 and Auckland on August 5. If members of the public desire important letters to reach England before August 19, it will be necessary to pay the special charge of Is 6d for each half ounce. But there will be no advantage after the departure of the Awatea from Auckland on August 1 in paying more than ltd each half-ounce for letters addressed to the United Kingdom and many other British countries. The average time in transit has been reduced to fifteen days, with a minimum of thirteen. As all first-class correspondence from New Zealand to Empire countries will go from Australia by air, there will be no need to specially attach the blue airmail label. The Empire air service is soon to be developed into one of three trips weekly between England and Australia, so that the New Zealand letters carried across the Tasman by sea will usually not have to wait more than a few hours before their journey is continued by air. The principal countries participating in the Empire air service are Great Britain and Ireland, South Africa, Canada, India, Ceylon, Malaya and Australia. Except for the temporary rate of id per ounce to Australia (to be changed to lid per half ounce when the Tasman air service commences) overseas postage is now simplified, because there are only two rates. Correspondence for Empire countries will bear the lid rate (each half ounce), while all correspondence to foreign countries (including the United States) will be subject to the Postal Union charge of 21d for the first ounce, and lid for each succeeding ounce.