Trans-Pacific
pp. 25-26 · Read in the full issue
Airmails
No Sign of Early Start on Hawaii-Auckland
From Our Own Correspondent
Honolulu, Dec. 12.
IT is believed that, if the route for Pan American Airways service between Hawaii and New Zealand is re-sur veyed, Canton Island (in the Phoenix Group, north of Fiji) will be used, and Pago Pago abandoned.
Despite occasional press statements, however, there is no real indication that the P.A.A. service to New Zealand is scheduled for an early start.
The Pan American spokesmen in San Francisco on November 26 were quoted by national news services as declaring: The first of the forthcoming Boeing clippers (after radical alterations at the direction of government experts) will be service tested on the North Pacific and then flown across the United States to its Atlantic base in New York harbour. It will make several scheduled flights on the New York-Bermuda run before inaugur ating the long-delayed Pan American service across the Atlantic to England.
Two of the six new Boeings will be re quired on the Atlantic, and. according to Mr. John Cooper, two more will be flown in the North Pacific service.
North Atlantic Service First
The company spokesmen could not say anything definite about the N.Z. run, but they said that the North Pacific and the North Atlantic must be taken care of first.
In view of the fact that Imperial Air ways soon will be bringing New Zealand into the Empire scheme, P.A.A. may leave the route from Hawaii to Auckland to Imperial, and negotiate with the Aus tralian Government for the admission of P.A.A. directly into Australia, from Can ton Island and Noumea, the company spokesmen said.
But there are lots of “buts” about the Pacific division story. Mr. Cooper, in his statement, said that unless the requested increase in government aid was forthcom ing the company would have great diffi culty in financing its obligations to the Boeing company. The factory has worked for three years already on the first Boe ing clipper. Costs against it must be ter rific, and out of all proportion to any practical values it may possess.
Aviation observers are wondering, too, what will be the outcome of the suit for $300,000 damages which Mrs. Cleo Musick. widow of Captain Edwin Musick, who was killed in the Samoan Clipper dis aster. has filed in Federal Court against Pan American Airways. According to the records, Mrs. Musick charges that the company was “reckless and negligent” in its operation of the clipper.
Trans-Tasman Service
It is not likely that there will be a regular trans-Pacific airmail between New Zealand and Hawaii until there is also a regular airmail connection be tween Australia and New Zealand; and a conference of weather men, who recently considered the latter service, declared that there could not be regular flying across the Tasman Sea until better wea ther information services are available.
Direction finding equipment is to be placed at two points on the New Zealand coast —near Auckland, and in Westland—
and further meteorological equipment will be placed on Lord Howe and Norfolk Islands. The High Commissioner for the Western Pacific is being asked to co operate by arranging for the despatch of radio weather reports from various Pacific Islands on seven days of the week.
Many stations already send out weather reports—but they close up at week-ends!
Union Steamship Co., of New Zealand, Ltd., which own the Central Pacific inter island motorsnip “Matua” and operate the C. and A. Line’s trans-Pacific vessels “Aorangi” and “Niagara”, earned a profit of £172,262 for the year ended September 30, compared with £175,938 the previous year. Ordinary dividend was increased from 5 to 6 por cent., and required £60,000. The preference dividend of 5i per cent, absorbed £llO,OOO, leaving £115,299 to be carried forward against £113,037 brought into the accounts.