FURTHER HONOUR

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 54, 27 November 1930, Page 12

FURTHER HONOUR

Garden and Stannage LIFE MEMBERSHIP English-speaking Union Life membership of the EnglishSpeaking Union was conferred upon Mr. Oscar Garden, who piloted a light aeroplane from England to Australia, and Mr. J. S. W. Stannage, the wireless operator on the Southern Cross’s Atlantic flight, at a meeting last evening. Mr. H. F. Johnston, K.C., president of the Wellington branch, welcoming Mr. Garden back to New Zealand, congratulated him on his performance, and said that they were also pleased to do honour to Mr. Stannage. Pleasing Qualities. • “These two young men—if one may caR them young—are New Zealanders who have a great place in the hearts of the people of New Zealand," be said. Performances such as they had made demanded not only skill but also a very high degree of courage and perseverance, and it was those qualities which the older people in the audience were so glad to see in the younger generation of New Zealanders. Least Heralded Flight. Mr. Garden’s flight, said Mr. Johnston, while not having the appeal of a flight like Amy Johnson’s, was noteworthy in that it was the least heralded of all the England-Australia flights. Mr. Stannage was not the principal actor in the trans-Atlantic flight, but he was one of the crew of four very brave men. They very much appreciated having the opportunity of meeting two aviators on their return to their homeland. White Elephant Car. Mr. Garden said that he was a great believer in the objects of the EnglishSpeaking Union. He had set out from New Zealand with the intention of flying back here, but he had realised that that was too ambitious a programme. “Then I traded in my white elephant—a secondhand car —for a very good second-hand light aeroplane,” he said. “Whether it was my Scottish blood or my experience in New Zealand that helped me to do this, I do not know.” Mr. Stannage said that had he known that he would have to speak, he would have come with something to say, bat as it was, he could say nothing. However, he told of his experiences on the trans-Atlantic flight. Mr. A. L. Hunt, chairman of the executive, presented the guests with the badges of the union and letters conferring on them life membership of the Wellington branch of the English-Speak-ing Union. Captain F. W. Haig related his experiences in Australia when he went to meet Mr. Garden, and Mr. T. F. Corkill also spoke. After the speeches dancing was indulged in, and during the evening musical items were given by Miss Marjorie Bennie, Miss E. Greig, Mr. E. Glading, and Mr. R. Hill, while Mr. F. W. Rowley acted as accompanist. AERO CLUB TRIBUTE A Debt to Such Men LESSON FLIGHTS TEACH “Aero clubs such as ours in Wellington have as a fundamental activity the fostering of aviation for the service and pleasure of the public, and to inspire individual members to undertake reasonable flights,” said Mr. E. Baldwin, vicepresident of the Wellington Aero Club, at the civic reception to Mr. Oscar Garden. "It is in that respect that aero clubs owe a debt of gratitude to such men as Mr. Garden, who show that a flight half round the world can be carried out in a light plane with as much facility as one might drive a light car from here to Auckland,” he said. “That analogy must be subject to revision in this respect: that the hundreds of miles of jungle, the hundreds of miles of ocean and desert, beset with their respective dangers, must not be overlooked, and it is in this that we must admire Mr. Garden’s effort. He has shown too that with good inherent qualities a trainee of an aero club with the necessary minimum number of flying hours can make a flight showing excellent performances when compared with purely record-seekers, and it is here that all of us, and aero clubs in particular, have to thank Mr. Garden, for he has without ostentation given a lead to safe and sane flying by the masses. “When the newspapers announced the fact that Mr. Garden had left England we were struck by the nonchalance and casualness of the preparations for the journey. Usually such flights are preceded by extensive preliminary forethought, but Mr. Garden one day descended out of the blue at Croydon and practically said to the officials: ‘I am just going to Australia 1’ But was it casualness and nonchalance? I venture to think not. A man of Mr. Garden’s calibre can consolidate his plans in a fraction of the time an ordinary mortal can. The feature of his accomplishnient was the absence of sensationalism either in preparation or accomplishment.” FLYING TOUR Visits to Chief Aero Clubs During next month, people in all parts of the Dominion will be able to see Mr. Oscar Garden. Accompanied by Captain F. W. Haig, of the Vacuum Oil Company, he will tour New Zealand, visiting all the chief aero clubs. He will leave Wellington on Saturday, calling at Blenheim on his way to Christchurch. From Christchurch he will go to Timaru, and probably to Dunedin. Returning to Wellington at the completion of the South Island visit, he will undertake a similar tour of the North Island. MEETING WITH CABINET An informal gathering was held by members of the Cabinet for Mr. Garden at Parliament House yesterday morning. Members of the executive of the Wellington Aero Club were also present. The Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Apirana Ngata, congratulated the aviator on his performance. TO-DAY’S FUNCTIONS Air. Garden will be the guest at luncheon of the Optimists’ Club at tho Y.M.C.A. at 1 p.m. to-day. Captain F. W. Haig will also speak. For to-night the Vacuum Oil Company has arranged a function in his honour, and he will speak from broadcast station 2YA at 9 o’clock. The Wellington Aero Club is to hold a banquet in Gamble and Creed’s rooms, Lambton Quay, at 7 p.m. to-morrow, the guests of honour being Mr. Garden and Mr. J. W. Stannage.