Air Mail

Attack on New Guinea Air Mail Plea by "Combine" That Towns ville be Terminal

WHEN it became known that estab lished airlines in Australia (usually called the “Combine” lines) were putting pressure upon the Common wealth Government, to cut off the New Guinea-Australia airmail at Townsville, there was indignation in Papua and New Guinea.

The “Combine” lines (unsubsidised) run services from Sydney to Townsville, and they objected to Carpenter Airways (non-“ Combine” and subsidised) run ning between Sydney and Townsville.

They urged that the Carpenter service should stop at Townsville, and thus avoid duplication and that passengers and mails should come on by the other airmails.

It is as if the coastal steamship lines demanded that the P. and O. and Orient Lines should stop at Fremantle, and their passengers and freight be taken on to eastern ports by coastal liners.

Townsville as the terminal instead of Sydney would cause expense and incon venience to Territories residents.

As soon as Mr. H. T. Allan, president of the New Guinea Mining Association, arrived in Sydney on March 6, he in quired into the position, and then he sent the following telegram to the Prime Minister:— “As reported in newspapers that Cab inet considered aviation matters and pos sibility of stopping New Guinea airmail service at Townsville, I on behalf of re sidents of Morobe section of New Guinea strongly oppose any alteration in Sydney terminal of air service from New Guinea.

All Territory residents consider service urgently needs augmentation rather than restriction. Will make personal repres entations in Canberra next week”.

There is a growing demand for the duplication of the New Guinea air-ser vice. Passengers complain that they can not get berths unless they book three and four weeks ahead.