EMPIRE AIR SERVICES.

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19971, 4 July 1930, Page 3

EMPIRE AIR SERVICES.

GRANTING OF SUBSIDIES. PROVISION OF GROUND FACILITIES. (raou ocx own comispohdiht.) LONDON, May 30. One of the first questions dealt witli by the Congress of the Federation of Chambers of Commerce of tho British Empiro was that of air services. Sir Harry Brittain moved that in view of the value to trade of rapid communications and of the importance to the Empiro of establishing a complete network of air routes, the Dominion and Colonial Governments should be urged to grant subsidies in the early stages of development to air transport undertakings which could most rapidly b made self-supporting by the conveyance of mails with passengers and freight as subsidiary traffic. Subsidies, he said, should take tho form of both cash payments and the provision of ground facilities. lie regretted, in particular, that nothing had been done by the British Government to assist in the promotion of British air services in the West Indies to connect up with North and South America. Colonel J. 11. Woods (Canada) said that the air routes of Canada had advanced in a phenomenal manner. In 1929 there were 500,0001b of post office mails carried by air, and 4,000,0001b of merchandise, while 300,000 square miles of territory were mapped by air under Government, supervision. Major Eandolph Rust (Trinidad) said that Trinidad had been made a port of call by American lines on tho routes to Venezuela. There were, also French and German companies supported by their Governments. Yet tho West Indian Colonies wanted a British company to operate a network of lines between the islands. Tho resolution was carried.

Koute to Australia. The next resolution, also moved by Sir Harry Brittain, urged all the Governments over whose territories tho route would - pass to establish ground organisations for the completion of the Imperial Air Lino to Singapore and Australia. It also welcomed the coming inauguration of the Cape-Cairo service, and urged that financial assistance should be given towards the establishment of "feeder" services to those two main Empire routes. Sir Harry Brittain said the preparations for tho opening of tho link from Delhi to Calcutta by tho end of the year, and the possible further extension to Rangoon in 1931, were interesting; but little was heard about tho extensions to Singapore and Poft Darwin. As the Dutch had recently been given facilities for landing in India on tho way to tho Dutch East Indies, they would doubtless be prepared to give similar facilities wherevor tho England-India-Australii route crossed their territory. He thought chambers of commerce in Australia and tho Malay Peninsula might urge their Governments to provido tho necessary ground organisation. Provision for Aerodromes. After this resolution had been carried, Lord Herbert Scott proposed that all federated chanibeis fce requested to impress upon local authorities in tho larger towns throughout tho Empire tho need for making immediate provision for aerodromes. Sea airports, ho said, should be in a seltered position near a town, with a reasonably good approach by road and rail, and free of 'id miniuiisc the , risks of contact with masts of ships during night flying. The Civil Aviation Section of the London Chamber of Commerce advocated tho granting. of compulsory powers 'to local authorities, for the acquisition of land for municipal airports, and to prevent obstructions in tho vicinity by chimneys and overhead high tension cables. The resolution was seconded by Lord Elibank and carried. Other resolutions were adopted in favour of the provision of a flat rate for air mailß as the best means of accelerating development; a general policy of surveying the unmapped areas of tho Empire without delay f and the provision of increased facilities for the study of aeronautics throughout tho Empire,