LABOUR AND RONGOTAI

Evening Post, Volume CXIX, Issue 98, 27 April 1935, Page 8

LABOUR AND RONGOTAI

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Having read Councillor Brindle's remarks regarding the development of the local aerodrome, I fail'to grasp the logic of all that he has to advance. To say that those of us who are interested in the development of commercial aviation in New Zealand are trying to stampede, this city into unnecessary expenditure on Rongotai is not accurate. Having had the reports from various experts, we consider that the City Council should now endeavour to keep abreast with the advances that are rapidly being made elsewhere in the Dominion. Councillor Brindle says that there is still need for further investigation and more reports. I say most decidedly that all the investigating and reporting that are necessary on Rongotai Aerodrome have been done. The Chamber of Commerse was principally responsible for it all, a]nd the council has had ample information. All of this information commends the Rongotai site, with necessary alterations. Mr. Brindle delves briefly into technicalities quite irrelevant to the subject. There is no need to worry whether aircraft have reached a high stage of efficiency from the point of view of Bomb-carrying, or whether any "efficiency formula" is relatively high. That is not going to improve Rongotai one jot! Further, as I have said previously, Rongotail must at present be considered in the light of the demands of commercial aviation. Military and commercial aerodromes are vastly different, and this is one of the points most overlooked by the general public. A good commercial aerodrome certainly could be used for military - activities, in emergency. Until then, both branches must be widely separated. If aircraft are not to be assisted with' good aerodromes, they certainly never will "even remotely compete" with any other form of transportation. Surely Mr. Brindle is not intending to let Rongotai become a sort of "automatic .developer" while he stands back and gazes on. ... Surely Labour is wide enough awake to realise that at present this question is very important. It could overcome a great deal of the unemployed trouble with a permanently beneficial work!—l am, (etc., WELLINGTONIAN. .