AIR SERVICES.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 10

AIR SERVICES.

PALMERSTON NORTH.

EXCLUSION DECISION

AMENDMENT NOW SOUGHT.

A new development in connection with the exclusion of Palmerston North from the trunk air route of Great Pacific Airways has taken place, Mr. G. XV. Hutchison, on behalf of Aviation Development. Ltd., and Great Pacific Airways, stating this morning that official advice had been received which made it clear that the final decisions of the Transport Co-ordination Board relative to air service licenses were capable of amendment by the board, notwithstanding the fact that apparently no appeal could be made against such decisions.

"Information was received by the directors to-day," said Mr. Hutchison,

'•'that the. Transport Co-ordination Board recently amended its final decision relative to the license granted to Union Airways, Ltd., by including Blenheim as a port of call upon that company's air route. This amendment was made by the simple expedient of a board minute, and Union Airways will accordingly now be allowed to include Blenheim as an airport upon its Palmerston XorthDunedin service, instead of having to operate a direct service between Palmerston North and Christchurch, as provided in the board's original decision.

"Precedent Created." "The precedent thus created by the board,"' said Mr. Hutchison, "establishes beyond all doubt the fact that the board can, if it deems such a course to be in the public interest, give further consideration to tlio inclusion of Palmerston North upon the Great Pacific Airways trunk route, and that it can, bv minute, amend its recent decision in this connection and include Palmerston Xorth in the Great Pacific Airways' license. The directors have accordingly instructed Mr. Trevor S. Withers, organiser of Great Pacific Airways, to applyto the board immediately with a view to having Palmerston Xorth further investigated at a public sitting of the board."

In conclusion Mr. Hutchison expressed the belief that the public throughout Xew Zealand would learn with satisfaction that there was apparently nothing to prohibit the board from including Palmerston North in the principal trunk air route of the Dominion. He felt confident that the board would, in view of the many and emphatic protests voiced at the exclusion of this important city from the Auckland-Dunedin route, be prepared to give this question the further consideration it so obviously demanded. Since those interested in Great Pacific Airways did not oppose the amendment of the board's final decision relating to the inclusion of Blenheinr in Union Airways' route, they suggested that no opposition by Union Airways, Ltd.. in regard to Palmerston Xorth should now be expected.

Fourteen Days' Notice Wanted. Concluding his letter to the chairman of the Transport Co-ordination Board making application for further consideration of the question of whether Palmerstorf Xorth should, in the public interest, be included in the trunk air route of Great Pacific Airways, Mr. Withers stated: "In order that local authorities and other interested parties may have an opportunity of submitting their views upon this matter to the board, I am directed to suggest that 14 days' notice should be given of the intention of the board to deal with the matter, which will presumably be considered at a Wellington sitting of the board." Choice of Transport Judges.

The "Auckland Chamber of Commerce •Journal," commenting on trunk air services in its May issue, stated, inter alia: "These incidents have caused a certain amount of misgiving in the public mind with regard to the Transport Co-ordina-tion Board, particularly in respect of the fact that there is no appeal from its findings. The decisions of the board are more far-reaching in their cffects than those of the Supreme Court; which for the most part have no public reactions, but merely affect the rights of individuals. For this reason the choice of the personnel of the Transport Coordination Board should have been given closer attention even than the appointment of- Supreme Court*judges receives. One gentleman with legal training should be sufficient for such a tribunal, and the other members should be appointed by reason of special knowledge of economic and business matters and some acquaintance with transport problems. To say so is not to reflect in any way upon the estimable individuals who constitute the personnel of the Transport Co-ordination Board."