CITY'S AIR HANDICAP

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 70, 23 March 1935, Page 8

CITY'S AIR HANDICAP

Business Men's Representat ions.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has made strong representations to the Transport Co-ordination Board that Wellington, as the business and commercial centre of the Dominion should be a point of call in any trunk air service There are three applications for liceneee, one of which, from the Union Steamship Company, on benair of Union Airways Ltd.« proposes a service from P«lmerston North to Dunedin, via Blenheim and Christcnurcft with no call at Wellington, which would be served by a service across Cook Strait. Squadron-Leader Isitt, giving technical evideno* on Thursday, stated that on probably 10 per cent, of days Rongotai would be closed to regular aviation. Members of the Chamber of Commerce, which had already placed its general views before the board in writing, were perturbed over the possibility that Wellington , might be left out, and yesterday Messrs.P.E.Pattricfc and A.R.Hislop appeared before the board to amplify the written statement.. Mr. Pattrick said that the chamber had no interest in any particular application* but was concerned solely with the Inclusion of Wellington as a point of. call. The council of the chamber wished to draw particular attention to the contention that any monopoly which might be granted, by licence should not be subsidiary to any other fora) of transport, and having a monopoly should correspondingly carry the liability of service for at -least the four main centres. One of the applications wae for a service commencing at Palmerston North and omitting Wellington, though it was stated by the "applicant that this service might,later be extended to Auckland and New Plymouth. Wellington would -toe the only main centre not touched. The applicant.in this case was the-Union Steamship Company. Wellington was geographically, commercially and strategically central and should not be omitted. . -NINETY PER CENT SERVICE. ■ ■ Mr.C.G.White for the Union Steamship Company, said that no one denied that Wellington should be served, but under present aerodrome conditions it ~ was not fit to be served. ' : ■ ■ " ■ To Mr.T.S.Withers, for Great Pacific Airways, . Mr. Pattrick said that the chamber would consider a 90 per cent, service a definitely'useful one. , Mr.H.J.Knight, for N.Z.Airways, said that the machines selected by one company might not be able to serve Rongotai, but those of another company might well serve it. Mr. Alderton: In other words, that Rongotain should govern the type of machine for the whole service? Mr. Hislop said that he"thought that too much had been said about the unsuitability of Rongotai and Wellington weather. The climatic conditions here were no worse than those in many other places* It had happened that planes were unable to reach Croydon on account of weather conditions. Rongotai might no.t be the best of airports, but it was a good airport, and if at times it might be impossible to work it the same would hold of other aerodromes. There were other experts who suggested that the dibability would not be more than 5 per cent, of days. Squadron Leader Stedman's opinion should be considered. Rongotai could be considerably improved by agreement between the City Council and the air authorities at a reasonable cost. The chamber held very definitely that Wellington should be linked up directly with the trunk service. They were definite* ly against service by subsidiary or taxi service only. Any subsidy which might be paid to the company would'1' come mainly from the.centres, and that alone was a - ; strong argument for service to those centres. Mr. Alderton: Wellington must of course.come' in sooner or later. It is a question of whether you can provide a suitable ground. The chairman suggested that a very suitable Hep Year resolution for the chamber to. adopt- might be "Buy,bigger^and better grounds for flyinK."