THE AIRPORT ME. BUTLER REPLIES

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 141, 11 December 1935, Page 12

THE AIRPORT

ME. BUTLER REPLIES

PROPOSED INQUIRY

RONGOTAI DEFENDED

EXPERT OPINION

From a discussion on the necessity of placing aviation under some single system of control, as by an Air Ministry or portfolio for air, the council of the Chamber of Commerce turned naturally last night to the question of the city airport.

Mr. A. R. Hislop said that if there was a single controlling department in charge of aviation valuable assistance could be given in the question of the establishment of aerodromes for the greatest effective return. There appeared to be a good deal of opposition to Rongotai as the airport for Wellington, said Mr. Hislop, and it appeared that that opposition was growing. Some of the criticism was useful, but others of the critics had not acquainted themselves with what had been done in inquiries into the most suitable location for an airport. Certainly the estimate of the cost of carrying out the development to suit the aerodrome for commercial machines was rather a cough drop; he did not know the details upon which the figure of £128,000 had been arrived at, but it was just about double the figure which had been suggested by the technical committee set up by the Chamber of Commerce and presided over by an eminent and capable engineer; possibly the technical committee had not considered that such an expensive seawall as was now proposed would be necessary.

Mr. Hislop said that that committee had suggested that if a series of groins were placed on the beach a natural reclamation would perhaps be formed, assisted by spoil from Moa Point Hill. The experience of Timaru, where the building of a breakwater had resulted in the formation of one of the finest bathing beaches in New Zealand, simply through an accumulation of sand, was interesting.

THE COMMITTEE'S INQUIRIES.

Councillor Butler had entered into the lists against the development of Rongotai, continued Mr. Hislop, but he rather thought that Councillor Butler had not provided himself with the information that was available to all members of the City Council in the report of the technical committee. He had said that no evidence had been given that the possibilities of Gear or Scabey Islands had received the consideration which should have been given them, but the report of the committee showed that very considerable attention had been paid to those possible sites. The opinion of the committee was that Rongotai, all things considered, easily came first, with Gear Island in second place, but Scabey Island was rather thrown out. Porirua was described as a site which should not be lost sight of.

Councillor Butler, continued Mr. Hislop, had quoted Mr. Harold Gatty as an authority, but though Mr. Gatty had quite a reputation as an airman and as an authority upon those subjects, it appeared to him that the knowledge which the late Sir Charles Kingsford Smith possessed of Rongotai, from his personal experience, entitled his opinion to higher consideration, and Sir Charles Kingsford Smith was definitely of the opinion that Rongotai could be made into a first-class commercial aerodrome. Mr. Hislop referred to the opinions of SquadronLeader Stedman as views to which the fullest weight must be given.

A further point made by Councillor Butler was that the development of Rongotai would entail the loss of recreation areas, but precisely the same would hold of Gear Island.

Mr. M. G. C. McCaul: The Hutt Valley is seriously short of playing fields.

The cost of development would certainly be high, but always the factor of supremacy was expensive, said Mr. Hislop. In the early days of the port the heavy cost of harbour development was criticised, but the value of the work was well recognised today. Unfortunately many of the important works in Wellington had been, and must be, costly on account of the configuration of the surroundings.

"I am pleased, however," he concluded, "to see that Councillor Butler does consider that Wellington must have an airport. I don't think that we can bicker with him when he suggests that the fullest inquiry should be made, and I don't think it is going too far to suggest that when a report is brought down it will again be in favour of Rongotai."

Mr. Hislop said that he hoped that if a committee were set up representatives of the Chamber of Commerce would be asked to assist in its inquiries. *