PUBLIC INQUIRY REFUSED

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29379, 5 December 1960, Page 13

PUBLIC INQUIRY REFUSED

Case Of Aviation Pioneer

. The Prime Minister (Mr Nash) and the Minister in charge of Civil Aviation (Mr Mathison) have both informed the Constitutional Society that they see no need for a public inquiry into the case of Mr H. M. Mackay, of Wellington, a pioneer in civil aviation in New Zealand, who had to take three petitions to Parliament and fight for 24 years for compensation after being put out of business by State action. The chief executive officer of the society (Mr A. F. Manning) said the society proposed, however, to continue its efforts to secure a public inquiry into the actions of the Air Department which was reported to have opposed Mr Mackay’s claims in secret reports to the Cabinet until the time of the recent by the Government to grant My Mackay £2OOO. “The amount of compensation is considered trivial after a lapse of 24 years,” said Mr Manning. “When the effects of inflation are taken into consideration and interest that would have accrued during the period, the amount of compensation is equivalent to litle more than £250 in 1936. “It appears that the sum granted does not equal the hangar fees charged by the Government to Mr Mackay while he was waiting for a Cabinet decision on his 1936 petition, or his loss when his Timaru airfield was taken by the Government and his aircraft hangar confiscated. Mr Nash has told the society he is satisfied that everything possible that could be done for Mr Mackay has been done. Mr Mathison says some confusion appears to exist about an ‘adverse report’ by the Air Department. He says this reuort was dated January 5. 1935. However, the. society is reliably informed that there have been later reports from the deoartment and this has also been reoorted in the press. “If the present Government will not agree to a public inquiry, the society will renew its reauest to the new Government when it takes office. It considers the case is an administrative scandal that should be fully probed as a deterrent to State interference with the legitimate enterprise of the people.”