SINGAPORE BASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 259, 2 November 1931, Page 5

SINGAPORE BASE.

COMPLETION CERTAIN.

OPINION OF A RESIDENT

NEW ZEALAND SURVEYOR

RETURNS

According to Mr. D. Nelson, a surveyor from Singapore, who arrived by the Ruahine from London yesterday, there is every reason to believe that the Singapore naval base will be completed, especially now that there has been a change of Government at Home.

Mr. Nelson was born in Hawke's Bay and educated at the Napier Boys' High School. Later he joined the Government as a surveyor and subsequently took up a position with the Singapore Improvement Trust, which has carried out

some extensive works iu the East. It is now constructing a huge airplane and seaplane baee which will be used for civil purpoees. A large swamp will bo reclaimed and a seaplane base formed on an arm of the sea. The site of'the base is close to the city of Singapore. Mr. Nelson said work had been going on steadily on the naval dock. Certainly the Government had only been completing contracts, but there was not the slightest chance of it being abandoned. Too much work had already been accomplished and too much money spent for that to happen. lx had only been a question of marking time. Trade conditions in Singapore were depreseed as they were in other countries which depended on rubber and tin as the stable industries. "But Singapore can stand the depression for at , least four or five years," he said. "They ihave budgeted for that, so as to keep people in employment. Of course they are hoping things will improve before that time elapses, and it locks as if they will. The national credit is good, and there is little doubt that we are living in a favoured country out there —there is no income tax payable."