Not Enough Seats

New Guinea Airmail Overtaxed

CRITICISM is being directed against the airmail service, between Sydney and New Guinea, conducted by Messrs. W. R. Carpenter and Co., Ltd. — not because the service is inefficient, but because it is insufficient.

It appears that for several weeks past it has been impossible for a person to secure a berth on the aeroplanes, with out booking several weeks in advance.

The passengers offering represent from two to three times as many as the aero planes can accommodate.

Individuals have made strong represen tations to Messrs. Carpenter, urging that another aeroplane be put on to take the available traffic, but the firm replies that this cannot be done without the express permission of the Commonwealth Government —and, so far, the Common wealth Government has taken no inter est in the matter.

It is presumed that the hold-up has something to do with the subsidy. The subsidy provided by the Commonwealth Government is for a weekly airmail of one aeroplane—there is no financial pro vision for a subsidy for two aeroplanes.

However, the demand for the service very definitely is there; the Federal Gov ernment says that now it is embarked upon a policy under which it will en courage in every possible way the devel opment of Papua and the Mandated Ter ritory; and the next logical step would appear to be the provision of some addi tional money, under which a larger aero plane service can take care of the grow ing public demand.