Air Mail Duplicated
pp. 61-62 · Read in the full issue
Attitude of the Australian Government
r!E duplicated airmail service be tween Sydney and the Territories of Papua and New Guinea, details of which were published in the “Pacific Islands Monthly’’ in May, came into op eration at the end of May, and is now functioning smoothly.
The determined effort made by the Commonwealth aviation authorities to force Messrs. W. R. Carpenter and Co.
Ltd. to cut off the service at Towns ville, and run the airmail service in future only between Townsville and Ra baul, was not continued. The Common wealth, in any event, had no legal standing, as the contract, which came into operation a year ago, has a cur rency of five years.
However, human nature being what it is, it is possible that the Carpenter en terprise will not be looked upon with great favour in the future by the Aus tralian Moguls of aviation. Therefore it is of importance that the people of Pa pua and New Guinea, who now are en
joying all the benefits of twice-a-week airmail communication with Sydney, should support the airmail service in every possible way. The contractors, Messrs. W. R. Carpenter and Co. Ltd., have announced frankly that, as the air service was duplicated at the request of the Territories people, it will be given a fair trial; but it will not be contin ued if a sufficient amount of support is not forthcoming, and the service does not pay.
It is believed, however, that if the duplicated service between Sydney and New Guinea is well supported, so that the Federal authorities are shown that it is necessary, the Government will sub sidise it.
Mr. lien Bessell, a young mining engi neer, well-known in New Guinea and Fiji, was killed in an accident at the Emperor mine, in Fiji, on April 20. He was in charge of a shift in the Emperor mine, and he slipped into a conveyor belt and received fatal injuries. He spent some time in Fiji in 1935-6, and then he went to New Guinea and to Borneo, but he returned to Fiji about six months ago.
He was about to be married and he was held in high regard by all who knew him.
Mr. A. L. Braisby, Inspector of the Samoan Police, joined a Matson liner at American Samoa last month en route to the United States and Canada to spend an extended holiday. He was accompan ied by Mrs. Braisby.
Rev. C. W. Whonsbon-Aston left Syd ney by the “Mariposa” on May 26 to take up his new charge as vicar of Viti Levu West, in Fiji, where his headquart ers will be at Lautoka. Mr. Whonsbon- Aston was for some time engaged in mis sion work at Mukawa, Eastern Papua, and he has been on sick leave in Aus tralia for about a year.
Mr, Bailey, of New Zealand, who has been appointed surveyor to the Cook Is lands Administration, recently spent a short time at Niue Island surveying the coastline, before proceeding to Raroton ga, C.I. He was accompanied by Mrs.
Bailey.