FROM ABROAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 46, 24 February 1931, Page 9

FROM ABROAD.

MARAMA'S PASSENGERS.

GZRE AVIATOR RETURNS.

AUCKLANDER IN BOMBING RAIDS,

Having teen delayed by stormy weather in the run across the Tasman, the Marama did not .reach port until 8 a.m. to-day. The vessel brought 121 passengers i in all classe.., including three Chinese. Mr. P. L. Truman, of Auckland, went Home to join the Royal Air Force in. June. 192 T. He received his training in Egypt, and has been stationed at Quetta, India, where he has been engaged occasionally in bombing raids against the Afridis and other native border tribes. Mr. Truman is on furlough, and will leave New Zealand for India in April. "A year ago business men in Singapore and other parts of the Malay States were quite depressed, but now they are quite cheerful as to the trade outlook," said Mr. G. Anderson, who is interested in the rubber trade. "Everybody is getting down to things and working practically double time for half the wages tlicy wore receiving-.previously. Whereas it cost 9d a.lb to produce rubber, by the economic methods now employed that ! cost lias now been reduced to 3d. Several hundreds of tlie Indian coolies who were [employed on the rubber plantations are being repatriated, and those who are left are the ones who arc content to do two men's jobs each." Auckland Aviatrix. As the first New Zealand girl to gain her pilot's license for flying in England, Miss J. G. Batten attracted a good deal of attention on the Marama. She left New Zealand last February for a holiday, and as she was always keen about flying she determined to take the opportunity to learn. She learned at the London Aero Club, and passed the Air Ministry examination for an A pilot certificate. Miss Batten speaks with great confidence and enthusiasm of all things connected with aviation. She intends to make it her life work, and if possible to secure a post in commercial flying. She docs not consider that flying is a strain on the nerves, except in long-distance flights. She said flying gave her a sense of freedom and exhilaration. She took an engineering course at de Havillainls, so as to get a knowledge of more than the. actual piloting of the machine. She intends to join the Auckland Aero Club.

Imperial Conference. While the material results of the Imperial Conference might not have amounted to much, public opinion had been aroused in.the questions involved, said Mr. J. Tilbury, who is making a business tour of the Dominion. For example, the proposal to abandon free trade was looming large, because trade stringency brought it prominently to the front. New markets were necessary, and the Dominion appeared to provide them. The conference had left that problem unsolved, but by the conference it had been given publicity, and for the first time the mass of the people had begun to think seriously about it. Once the masses had realised what Imperial preference meant, he thought it would come. It was not wise to bring about radical changes suddenly. Time was a great leavener, and changes which came gradually were the more permanent. "The warning recently given by Mr. ■Snowden," continued Mr. Tilbury, "was wise. Nor was it unexpected; but 1 think it exaggerated." He did not think things were as serious as that speech indicated. However, th.c English public realised that economy was a necessary • measure, and in the main they supported the spirit of the announcement.