Trans-Tasman

But Air Mail Still is Not Trans-Pacific

A T long last, late in April, British aviation interests, supported by the Governments of Great Britain, Aus tralia and New Zealand, inaugurated a regular air mail and passenger service across the Tasman Sea, between Sydney and Auckland. A flying-boat flies from Auckland to Sydney every Tuesday, and from Sydney to Auckland every Thursday.

The 221-tons flying-boats, carrying mails, urgent freight and anything up to a dozen passengers, are making the 1,200 miles flights without apparent difficulty, and it may be assumed that this new service has come to stay. It is being carried on by two flying-boats. Later, when more machines are available, a twice-a-week service each way may be inaugurated.

The company operating the Tasman air service is Tasman Empire Airways, Limited, with head office in Wellington, and a capital of £500,000. Subscribers are Union Airways 39 per cent., representing New Zealand, British Overseas Airways Corporation 38 per cent., representing Great Britain, and Quantas Empire Air ways 23 per cent., representing Australia.

Meanwhile, there still is no sign of the important Pacific link between Auckland and San Francisco, which is to be pro vided by Pan American Airways.

It is apparent that Pan American Air ways are having a great deal of trouble in getting the approval of the United States Civil Aviation authorities to the proposed new service.

The troubles of Pan American Airways seem to be two-fold. First, there is that of reaching an agreement with the United States Government; second, the Corporation seems to be having difficulty in procuring a sufficient number of modern aircraft.

However, a final announcement that the service between Hawaii and New Zea land will be inaugurated at an early date may be made before the end of this month. Mr. Harold Gatty (representative of P.A.A. in Auckland), whose energy and tireless patience are responsible for the remarkable trans-Pacific organisation already created—seen in the existence of flying bases, all ready and waiting, at Canton Island, Noumea and Auckland—is at present in the United States, using his utmost personal efforts to secure the early inauguration of the long-discussed Pacific air mail.

Koitaki Para Rubber Estates, Ltd., re ports that the April output of dry rubber from the company’s plantation in Papua was 45,802 lb.

There are indications that the tension continues to grow in Hawaii between the United States naval authorities and the Japanese population—especially that sec tion of it which insists that, although American born, it is still Japanese, It was announced on May 5 that four Japanese have been held by a grand jury in Honolulu, on charges of sailing sam pans in a prohibited area of Pearl Harbour —which is the United States naval base. For the past year or two, American naval authorities have been, taking sterner and yet sterner measures to keep the Japanese away from Pearl Harbour—but the stricter the regulations, the greater the inquisitiveness of the Japanese.