ASHBURTON AIRPORT

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 50, Issue 149, 5 April 1930, Page 2

ASHBURTON AIRPORT

ERECTION OF HANGAR. COUNTY COUNCIL DISCUSSION. So that it might 'proceed with the erection of a hangar on the Ashburton airport, which building would become the property of the Ashburton Borough and County Councils, the Mid-Canter-bury Aero Club wrote to the County Council asking if it would remit the first two years' rental, which would bo in the vicinity of £l2O. The hangar was estimated to be worth, when erected, at least £250. The matter was discussed by the Council yesterday. The chairman (Mr J. Carr) said the club wished the rent to be remitted so that it could put it into the erection of the hangar, Mr A. Horsey said the club would not |be able to commence operations until the hangar were erected. The chairman did not think there was any chance of aviation in New Zealand suffering a setback. Aviation was one of the most important things of the future, as had been stressed at the Regional Planning Conference held at Christchurch recently. The matter at point was. the question of finance.

Mr H. C. B. Withell: If this remission is granted we should charge the club £65 after that.

Mr H. E. Jessep: They must understand that it is only for the two first years. There must be no coming back. Mr J. Moore: I haye every sympathy with the clubs, but this thing is wrong from the start. It is partly Government, partly private venture. The Council must be prepared to lose a fair amount of money. It was in the interest of the ratepayers to make Mire that they were justified in taking this step. Continuing, Mr Moore said that if a club could itself on a firm footing at the start, it should wait until it was in a position to do so. He did not wish to put any obstacle in the way of the club, but other bodies must each start on a sound basis. It did not give much indiicfrtion for success. The Council should be careful.

Mr R. Houston: Aero transport is growing every day, and an airport will be a strdng asset to the Council. Mr Moore's remarks might be right, but he thought he was taking a narrow view of the position.

Mr Moore: It means that pilots are going to be trained. They will be learning a trade at the ratepayers' expense. They will he using ■ the ratepayers' money to gain a \ first-class profession. The chairman: It was understood from the start that to place Ashburton on the map an airport was necessary, and it was with this in vievy that the Council took the step. The buildings would become the property of the Councils.

Mr W. G. Gallagher: We will be getting the money back in buildings instead of rent.

On the motion of Mr Jessep, it was decided that the rent for the first two years be remitted to enable a start to be made with the erection of the hangar. The club must understand, however, that this was not to be taken as a precedent/ /