London, Mar. 31.
The Empire air services were] jeriticized in the House of Commone [yesterday when the second rhoding fof the Alr Navigation BIll was moved Sir. Philip Sassoon, Under-Secre-ary of State for Alr, was passed by jo vole of 140 to 35.
The measure, inter alls, provides! for Increased subsidies for civil alr transport from the present sum of £1,000,000 annually to £1,500,000 from December 31, 1940, to December 31, 1953.
Moving the rejection of the Bill It-Col.. J.T. C. Moore-Brabazon, Conservative member for Wallasey, said that the "Empire civil aviation] twas "nothing to write home about."
Mrs. Mavis C. Tate, Conservative member, for the Frame. clvision of [Somerset, seconding Li-Col. Moore Brabazon's rejection motion, pointed out that Australia intended to take ver the service from Singapore Syaney with American machines.
"Pan-American Airways." she added, "are going tp run the service! to. Australia. It interests that we operate the! Service from Singapore.to Hondkong and Shenghai, but. Pon-American Airways, in conjunction with the, Deutsche Lufthansa are capturing the trade there"
tts, Tata said she believed that the. Lufthansa organization "intended extent their service from China {o Sadia, Persia, Greece and. Europe 'Major J. W." Hills, Conservative] member for the Ripon division " of Yorkshire, West Riding, declared that Imperial" Airways. was the best in the worl, but it was impossible for the company' to order new machines {os the Empire routes until the sub-Say question was settled.
'The country has reason tobe proud of Imperial Airwaye, declared Mr. Geottrey lo M. Mander, Liberal member for the East' division Wolverhampton, who added he. be-Tleved it would be of national iner-tst if companies could apply, for subsidy or mall contract for Empire Bet werd routes not covered By Peeriyings Sir Philip pointed out that imperial" Airways. covered—a renter yearly mileage "than. the French, Netherlands or Mahan, tines fon a" far. smaller subsidy." Thelt Share of the crows-Channel tram last year, he added, exceeded all the foreign competitors' combined. Moreover, he stated, foreign competitors were increasingly copying the Imperial Airways" system.—Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.