WELLINGTON BASE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 160, 10 July 1939, Page 11

WELLINGTON BASE.

TASMAN AIR SERVICE. ADVANTAGES STRESSED. REPLY TO MR. ELY. (From Our Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Sunday. "That Wellington's claim as the terminal point for the Tasman air service is the most soundly based has been admitted by every person who looks at this question in an impartial manner," said the president of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Captain S. S. Holm, in a reply to a statement made by> the Auckland chamber. "The obvious advantage of Wellington as the natural distributing centre for both mail and passenger services was, as a matter of fact, as strongly stressed by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, and by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. -Jones, as by members of the deputation representing the chamber, the City Council, the Wellington Harbour Board and cities and towns in the South Island which waited upon the Ministers

recently,

"The question is not whether Auckland shall be the base, or whether Wellington shall be the base, but whether a triangular service should be instituted." Captain Holin continued. "No base is 100 per cent weather perfect, but the ideal of maximum regularity and greatest assurance of safety of service between Australia and this Dominion will be more certainly approached if two well-separated bases are established. Dominion Interests. "The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is not continuing its advocacy in any narrow spirit of citv or provincial prestige. It is urging that Wellington should be the main point in the Tasman service because in that way the best interests of the Dominion as a whole will be served," said Captain Holm. It is unfortunate that the president of the Auckland chamber, Mr. A. Ely, should see lit to condemn our endeavours in this regard and to be parochial in a matter of national importance.

"The very argument used by Mr. Ely against Wellington is the one which we consider to be of paramount importance in our favour, namely, the safetyfactor. Auckland's only satisfactory alternative landing ground is 100 miles distant, and at that such a base would probably be unsafe under weather conditions making the main base unsuitable. This being the cage, it becomes necessary in the interests of complete safety to have a further alternative base.

"We are advocating a central base at Wellington which, as meteorological records show, would not be untenable simultaneously with Auckland. In addition, Wellington has several suitable and sheltered expanses of water within 20 minutes' flying time. Full regularity of service cannot be obtained with a base at A nek land onlv."

Captain HO.IIII said he understood that the Auckland base, including the breakwater, had cost about £100,000, but he had been informed that the Wellington base could be established for approximately £30,000. Central Base Desired. "Mr. Ely skips very lightly over the unassailable distribution advantages possessed by Wellington," he continued. "Within a radius of 200 miles of Wellington harbour dwell almost one-half of the total population of the Dominion, and tills proportion is materially increased when those living south of this radius are also taken into consideration. A central base is the unanimous desire of the whole of the South Island and of the southern portion of the North Island.

"As an instance of hut one saving which will be effected from central distribution, it might be mentioned that it is estimated that the turn of at least £30,000 per annum would be saved by the Post Office in the distribution of mails. Within a very few years passenger traffic by air across the Tasman will lie a big factor in the service, and the advantage and economy of a central base in this regard will carry increasing weight.

"The Wellington chamber is not upset over Auckland's opposition," concluded Captain Holm. "The facts are so clearly in favour of a hase in Wellington Harbour that its establishment w ill follow a« a matter oi national economy and necessity."