N.G. Air Service

Curtailed

Federal Government Refuses to Subsidise Second Plane

BECAUSE of the failure of the Federal Government to subsidise the second weekly airmail service between Sydney and New Guinea maintained by W. R.

Carpenter Airlines, the company on Sep tember 30 reduced the service to one plane a week, each way.

The air service from Sydney to Ra baul, via Port Moresby and Salamaua, was expanded from once weekly to twice a week about six months ago, in response to a growing demand from Territories re sidents. Before that, accommodation was usually booked out several months ahead.

Speculators, in some instances, made a business of buying seats and then selling them for double the cost.

In the Australian Parliament at the end of September, Senator Cooper (Qld.) asked whether representations had been made by Carpenter and Co. for a sub sidy. Senator Mcßride (representing Sen ator Foil) replied that the Government already subsidised one service a week and did not propose to subsidise a second. He added that the company stated that it was suffering substantial loss on the un subsidised service and that the recent increased price of petrol had added to the burden.

“Lost £4Oo A Month”

Interviewed in Sydney, Sir Walter Carpenter told the newspapers that the second weekly service was losing over £4OO a month. “If the Postal Department only paid us the usual airmail rate on the monthly average of 1,000 lb. of mail, we could cany on”, he said. “Not only are we denied payment for the mail, but we have to pay transport costs to carry it from the aerodromes to post offices. The Customs Department even charges over time to check out our aircraft. We do not want to make a profit on the second service; all we ask for is reasonable treatment”.

Aviation experts in Sydney, not “con

trolled” by the airline combines—which have strenuously opposed the Carpenter service since its inauguration—declared that the twice-a-week service was valu able in defence because it ensured a fre quent. regular reconnaissance of the long coastline from Sydney to Cooktown, and also across the Coral Sea from Cooktown to Port Moresby.

Mr. E. A. James, editor of the “Papuan Courier”, accompanied by Mrs. James, left Papua recently for a short holiday in Australia. In Mr. James’s absence, Mr.

B. McArdie is in charge of the “Papuan Courier”.

Mr. “Bob” Gurney, formerly a well known pilot of Guinea Airways, and more recently a captain of one of the Empire Airways flying-boats, is now a member of the defence organisation at Port Moresby.