§ Captain ERSKINE-BOLSTasked the Postmaster-General whether he will explain the reason why the air mails from South America to this country are much cheaper than the air mails from this country to South America; and what is the rate paid by the French Government for the carriage of French mails by the German Government and by the German Government for the carriage of German mails by the French air mail as compared with our air mails sent by the French and German air mails, respectively?
§ Sir K. WOODThe postage charged on air correspondence from South America to this country is based on a unit of 5 grammes, about one-sixth ounce, whereas the fees charged in this country on air correspondence for South America, as for extra-European destinations generally, are based on a unit of half an ounce. I have no precise information as to the actual amounts which the Argentine and Brazilian Post Offices pay to the air companies for the conveyance of their mails to Europe, but their published charges at current rates of exchange are considerably below the charges which the British Post Office has to pay to the French and German Post Offices for the service in the opposite direction. The payments which the French and German Post Offices respectively require from the British and other Post Office Administrations for the conveyance of air letters to South America are as follow:400W
- France to Brazil—1.53 gold francs per 5 grammes.
- France to Argentina—1.83 gold francs per 5 grammes.
- Germany to Brazil—1.50 gold francs per 5 grammes.
- Germany to Argentina—1.80 gold francs per 5 grammes.