WHO SHOULD LEAD?

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 221, 18 September 1930, Page 9

WHO SHOULD LEAD?

■Mi. AIfiPORT SCHEME.

LOCAL BODIES' CONFERENCE

i -LITTLE HOPE OF UNANIMITY.

: The proposal £o establish' a commercial' airport to serve Auckland and the district was ' advanced a stage further last-,.evening,- -when a. meeting of- local bodyf/ representatives was held at the ' ■ ;

D.e'Jegates •, from . twelve authorities attended, in addition to representatives from the City .Council and the Harbour BpaFd. Eventually a motion, that the f ?ri?,.of'.control, should be a board sjtaHarly cphstituted to. the Harbour •?*s> preferably without increasing thovnumh;er. of 'existing local authorities, was.vcarried .by. five votes to four. It i supported' by the City Council, Borough .Council, the ManuCouncil,. Mount Wellington Koad;' Board, and .the Mount. Eden ~?V°. u gh'"Council, and opposed by the Mount Albert Borough Councils,; the Waitcmata County Coun*il } :.and ; the Mount Roskill Road Board.'

■■ .Under the Marine Department. .A..number ■of opinions regarding the desirability, of the project were received. TieJDevonport Borough Council stated tliat r, the first question which should be decided-was what body should control the'airport. .The council was also of the opinion that airports should come under tlje flcb'n.trol. of the Marine Department. Xvw- Zealand was essentially a maritime coiant'ry;depending as it did on all' its outside,'trade,. and a great deal of its local;trade being sea-borne. All the priricipal^airports;. would be situated, at or near;the sea ports; indeed many of the airships ot the future might be of the tjrpe;known;as flying boats/:. i- .

The , .decision;.that, noi action should be taken,had been, arrived at by the councilsi()f Birkerihead and One Tree Hill. Takipuna. Borough Council declined to support, the scheme financially, but "ex-, preyed/the. opinion that there-,, were" possibilities for an airport in the bays aujacent : to Takapuna. Northcote Bprbugh Council wrote that they could not rat; present enter into any financial liability, although favouring community effort iu : the 'establishment of an air- ■"'. '•"■■' !■:.■:. ■■'■:■ ■ ' ■ ■■ ■■' ■ . . .

port. The Glen Eden Town Board wrote that they thought .'the question was one 'for the Government or private enterprise to deal with'; They would not; be justified in undertaking further increase, of ■rating "for the purpose. Similar views Avero expressed by the ■ New Lynn Borough Council. . • . The Western; Suburban Local Authorities Association wrote that it willingly oave moral support to the,enterprise and fully appreciated the. ultimate benefits, but it-was not prepared jto; recommend to its affiliated bodies "the acceptance, of any annual burden for,the promotion of an airport, considering that this step should lie '.taken by the Government or left to private enterprise entirely.

Harbour Board's Attitude. The Harbour - Board reported that at its last meeting it passed a resolution recognising its responsibility .in connection with seaplanes,-but,.not in connection with land'machines. , ,Mr. J. ."Dempsey, chairman of the City Couiifcil Works Committee, said'the council did riot possess the'necessary powers to establish an airport. "If we wait until- the Government takes the.lead oruntil private enterprise does so, we shall be:badly left," he said. Finance. appeared to be the ; sturiibling block, but it was necessary to give a lead.; . Mr. Dempsey then moved the resolution as stated above. A delegate from the Manukau County Council, said that authority was prepared to. make any reasonable contribution towards the project, *but favoured the establishment of a separate controlling body. ; ■'Mr.'G... W. Hutchison said the _ scattered nature of the "Centres of population .in the Auckland district made it particularly desirable, that the; airport should be established in some such position, as had been, proposed. Over 100 municipalities were moving in the desired direction in Great Britain, and it was higli time .New Zealand realised the necessity of fostering, commercial, aviation.

Aero Club's Position. Mr.. Spencer Mason, president of the Auckland Aero Club, expressed the hope that the club's purchase of the ground at Mangere would not be to the detri'r ment of the commercial airport scheme. The club had; been obliged to take that step, as it was in danger of losing its home, and could not wait for the airport scheme to become an accomplished .'fact. • It appeared idle to think that the Government ' would take the lead,- and without land-' ling grounds commercial aviation could [not possibly develop. . ;.,';■■;.■■■:

"It seems impossible tp : secure, unani;. mitv on the question,",,■remarked ;Mr. W. J. Holdswpfth. Unless the co-opera-tion of all the local bodies'.could be obtained, it would be very difficult to make progress in the sclienie. ' The present position was a deadlock; and unless the City Council was prepared to carry; on, the matter would drop." If the council did go aheadr it would then be doing something.'outside its area. - . • .'

The Mayor, Mr. G. Baildqn/who'presided over .the .nicetingj:- said -i the.; Gity. Council was not to; thrust •■.■ the. whole of the burden •oii.-'to .the'' outride bodies. The council was prepared ' to. carry 53 per cent' of the,-cost. However; they were only in, the preliminary, stages, and further meetings, would have to .be held before a definite decision; could be reached

Mr. S. I. Crookes said:the,only,chance there was of private enterprise taking the matter up .was if -the Government gave a very substantial' subsidy.. This; appeared distinctly unlikely, 'to ■ say';the; least of it, and' it" was'''not'at'all probable that the Governmei(it;::w'ouid ; :take the initiative in the; -establishment of the scheme.. ■ ..■■• -,'-:v-W/.■:■'''"'v

Mr. B. L. Bagnall expressed disappoint--ment at the attitude of, ■most,; of. the local bodies. The : mai;tor, was;.:by. :no means premature. If the :; ,Kl'ol' was .to come to New Zealand they would all be, "falling over one. another" , to 'get ■ ihi first. :% . •'. ■ .;' .<•_ ■■-/■ '.-' ■ '■".' '■■■'. ;; :