AIR SERVICE

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 248, 17 July 1935, Page 10

AIR SERVICE

Exclusion of Call at Palmerston North

WELLINGTON CONCERN Chamber of Commerce Protest "If it is a. question of taking off the gloves—well, let us take off tlie gloves,” said Mr. A. K. Hislop at a meeting of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce last evening, when tlie decision of the Transport Co-ordina-tion Board to exclude Palmerston North from tlie route of the main Dominion passenger air service to be conducted by Great Pacific Airways came nnder discussion. Air Hislop said that Palmerston North was the obvious connecting link for the whole of the North Island, and it was the duty of the chamber to support the Mayor and councillors of Wellington iu the fight they were putting up. The chamber had been refused an opportunity to give evidence before the board made its final decision. In fact, it had received no acknowledgment of its request, which, to say the least, was discourteous of the board. “We are the commercial body of this city and we are entitled to courtesy. The board held its meeting in camera and flouted our wishes. We must support the Alayor and councillors in this fight.” Adverse Effect. The chairman, Air- AL G. C. McCaul, said that directly the chamber became aware that there was a possibility of Palmerston North, Wellington and Blenheim being deleted from the itinerary, a meeting was held and on July 9 the chamber made a request to the board that it be given an opportunity to be heard. It was pointed out that the capital city of New Zealand was of sufficient importance to warrant the provision of every facility for travel by air, and that the deletion of the three air ports mentioned would adversely affect the trade of the city. No reply was received either by the chamber or by the City Council. Air. C. J. B. Norwood said that the whole council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce was unanimous that the question was an important one. In his opinion the main trunk service should be given every facility to reach maximum points. The company should not be debarred from any reasonable opportunity to give greater service. Palmerston North was an important point. Air. Norwood referred to the value of the Rongotai airport model and said that the experiment would probably save the city hundreds, if not. thousands, of pounds. It had been most skilfully arranged- by tlie corporation staff, and demonstrated that the removal of spoil from a given . point would produce the same results as cutting down the whole bill. The authorities were placed in the position of knowing just what should be removed and that, iu his opinion, more than compensated for any delay in putting the aerodrome in order. Surprise and Regret. The following motion, moved by Air. P. E. Pattrick, was carried unanimously:— That this chamber desires to bring before the notice of the Transport Co-ordination Board its extreme surprise and regret that the chamber’s request to be heard by the board before it made any variation of the licenses it previously granted after hearing evidence at the public inquiry held on Alarch 22 was apparently disregarded. Furthermore, this chamber considers the variation decided on by tne board is inimical to the best interests of the large area and population served by the capital city in conjunction with the city of Palmerston North, and trusts that it is not too late for the board to remedy what this chamber considers to be an obvious and serious error of judgment. , MAYOR PROTESTS Wellington City Viewpoint DISTURBING DECISION Because the Alanawatu and surrounding districts are important adjuncts to the city of Wellington, the action of the Transport Co-ordination Board in cutting Palmerston North out of tlie route of the trunk aerial service to be maintained by Great Pacific Airways is regarded as being of vital moment. Air. T. C. A. Hislop, as Mayor of Wellington, is concerned at the decision, which he stated yesterday was reached after deliberation in camera. Further, the request of the City Council to be given an opportunity to protest against any alteration of the route by tlie Great Pacific Airways, as determined at (lie first decision of the board, was not acceded to, though, under the Act, the board is required to take into account tlie representations of local authorities and other local bodies.

“It would bo most interesting to know the grounds upon which the new decision is based,” said Mr. Hislop. “In making its announcement, the board contented itself with the bald statement that Palmerston North was to be excluded from the points of call for Great Pacific Airways: no reasons for the decision are given to the public and local bodies and others interested. “The Wellington City Council protested against the exclusion of either Palmerston North or Blenheim, as well as Wellington, and the request that the council should have an opportunity of stating its views was made in accordance with Section K of clause 8 of the Act, which provides that the board must take into consideration various matters before determining application for a license, of which (under Section K) are specifically mentioned evidence or representations of local authorities or other public bodies. That opportunity, asked for by the Wellington City Council, was not afforded. “I was not invited by the board to communicate with it in any way in connection with the matter, ami it was only by pure chance that 1 hoard that a further sitting was to he held which might result in detracting from the value of the earlier decision as far as Wellington is concerned. “I think that the people of Wellington mush feel disturbed at this latest decision. It Is true that Wellington is not cut out of the main trunk passenger service. If is. however, equally true that, through the deletion of Palmerston North. Wellington has been cut off from an area which would have been of considerable value to it in a trunk service. "Under a route scheme with Palmerston North ns a calling point, as in the earlier decision, the aeroplane's of Groat Pacific Airways arriving in the morning would bo able to connect

up with and to bring to Wellington passengers coming from all that great district up to northern Hawke’s Bay. and right up to Gisborne, and also from file area more adjacent to Palmerston North than to Wanganui By the deletion of Palmerston all that sottree of potential passenger traffic coming to or proposing to travel through Wellington is cut out. “Similarly the north-bound aeroplanes of ' Great Pacific Airways travelling through Wellington will be of no value to all those who would otherwise have been enabled to embark at Palmerston North on their return or on visits to the above-men-tioned area, of-which Palmerston is the focal point. "In my opinion.’’ said Mr. Hislop, “the Act under which the board operates is by no means satisfactory. The position is that those interested are simply called upon to submit proposals for air routes and the board decides upon the suitability of these routes. This seems to me to’bo a most cumbersome way of going about the organisation of air services. I should think the best way of dealing with this important problem would be for those who are actually expert in aviation. in conjunction with the appropriate Government officers, to bring down a fully-considered scheme of what routes arc considered desirable throughout the country,’and that those routes, either in whole or part, should (hen bo open to competition by tender to those prepared to establish flying services over them.”