AVIATION

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 184, 2 May 1929, Page 10

AVIATION

TOE GOVERNMENT’S POLICY MINISTER’S PRELIMINARY INQUIRIES A preliminary announcement with respect to the Government’s aviation policy was made by the Minister of Defence (Hon. T. M. Wilford) in an interview with a “Dominion” representative yesterday. Answering an inquiry as to what was the attitude of the Government towards the aero clubs of New Zealand, the Minister said: “When the policy of the Government is settled, it will be announced by the Prime Minister; but before it is announced, it will be my duty to see how many clubs are essential and what are their requirements. It is useless for any set of enthusiasts starting out to run an aero club unless they can see a certain £3OOO a year in hand for the running of the club. No club can be run under that figure; that is, after it has the ground, the hangars, and the machines.” The Minister added that since his assumption of the portfolio of Defence he had given a series of lecturettesi on aviation at various places from Auckland to Invercargill. “To every body of men Interested I have' approached,” Mr. Wilford said, “I have submitted one question for their earnest and considered thought. It Is this; If war were declared to-morrow, our cruisers would go to the nearest naval base and be under the one naval command. Our defence would consist of guns in fixed positions and land forces. If one armed merchantman belonging to the enemy arrived 150 miles off this coast, with a mother-ship carrying ten or twelve equipped with gas and bombs for the destruction of our cities, what is our defence?”