FARTHEST SOUTH

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 107, 2 November 1937, Page 10

FARTHEST SOUTH

TASMAN AIR BASE

A COVE IN STEWART ISLAND

SOUTHLAND WANTS IT

I Invercargill, Bluff, and Southland 3 generally have discounted Nelson's ' claims to sunshine, Auckland's claims [ to the shining beauty of the Waite--5 mata, and Wellington's pride in the [ largest wooden building in the world 'by pointing proudly to lamp-posts, \ tramcars, and a brewery, all farthest [ south, now they have suggested the farthest south air terminal in the I world, farther south even than Bluff, : for the location they propose .for the Tasman terminal is on Paterson Inlet, , on Stewart Island. Some of Southland's claims to farthest south have been disputed by ; Tierra del Fuego, for the settlement there put up a lamp-post, too, but a ' flying-boat base on Stewart Island ' would stand unchallenged. The proposal is not altogether new, L for it was talked about some years ago , by the late Charles Ulm, who was in- ' terested in a, southern route between Australia, via Hobart, to New Zealand L as offering by far the shorter water ■ distance, for the. farther south one goes—on the globe, whatever a Mercator's projection map may show — the nearer the south of the South : Island and of Tasmania approach. i These are the distances given in the ; southern papers:— [ . Nautical ■■■•.: miles. ■ Hobart to Paterson Inlet .. 920 Sydney to Auckland 1170 Sydney to Wellington .... 1200 Melbourne to Wellington .. 1375 Melbourne to. Auckland ... 1425 There is more than the distance advantage, for there is a strongly-prevail-ing wind one way between Hobart and Paterson Inlet, though, of, course, it would be a head wind on a return journey. Charles Ulm had that favouring wind very much in mind when he discussed the possibility of a service between Australia, via Tasmania, to New Zealand, and he proposed to get over the head-wind difficulty by making a round trip of it, flying the tail wind to (or from) the south and the contrary tail wind between North Auckland and Australia. That is not suggested by the Southland people— the line between Hobart and Paterson Inlet is shown in a nice black line, both ways. N THE CASE PUT BRIEFLY. In point of fact they do not rely upon these favourable and unfavourable winds, but lead off their case with the telling argument of shortest distances and complete it in seven supporting; points, like this:— 1. It 'terminates the shortest route. 2. It provides ideal landing conditions. ' 3. It is sheltered in all weathers. 4. It is within easy reach of the mainland. ... . 5. It forms the point of access to the South Island. ' 6. It is the only base south of Picton. 7. It will include' Tasmania. 8. It will provide through routes. "Paterson Inlet," it is claimed, "is the most suitable base in the South Island ,the only suitable base south of Picton, and the trans-Tasman base should be in the South Island. These matters seem to the layman to be facts beyond dispute.. In, only one way can they be proved or disproved—by an investigation of the island itself by some thoroughly competent officer of the Civil Aviation Department. In only one way can the decision of such an officer be checked—by a survey flight. [And really that is what Wellington suggested, too —that the claims of Wellington should be investigated by competent aviation authorities—so that in this Wellington and Southland are in full agreement, though Wellington did not ask for a survey flight, but it might very well do so, now that the precedent is given by Southland.] IN THE BROAD NATIONAL INTEREST. Wellington does not want the Tasman base here for selfish, parochial reasons: neither does Southland want is at Paterson Inlet on any but the broadest of policies for the National Welfare. Southland will not have the base at Auckland, nor at Wellington, either, and states its reasons in' this section" of the case for the selection of Paterson Inlet, the almost perfect aerial base,.in the national.interest. . ;

"The advocacy of Paterson Inlet as a base is more than a provincial claim. It is a claim which is made in the interest of the whole of the South Island. And, regarded from, that point of view, it becomes a question of national benefit. Clearly, if both Tasman and Pacific services have their bases at Auckland, the South Island so far as air services are concerned might as well not exist. If the Tasman base is at Wellington, and the Pacific base is' at Auckland, the position of the South Island is no better. One of the great. a&vantages of aerial travel is speed, and those who use the aeroplane wish to. make full use of that convenience. They would, therefore, be most unlikely to land at Wellington by the one service, travel south, then retrace their steps back, thence on to Auckland, and leave by the other. Obviously, they Would • arrive at Wellington, travel the North' Island, and leave from Auckland.

"To select either Auckland or Wellington as the trans-Tasman base would mean the elimination of the' South Island. This would not be in the national interest since it would mean that there would not then exist the through aerial traffic ' upon which national internal lines of communication must, depend. Against the adoption of a base in the south of ■ the South Island only one cogent argument " could be admitted from a national viewpoint—namely, that there existed no suitable sitejfor a terminal. 'That argument' does not exist." •. ■■'.....,..., .

,So now there are several claimants to' the ba'se,in~the national' interest,, Auckland, New Plymouth, Palmerston North, Nelson, Paterson Inlet, and of course, Wellington, the Capital City and the commercial and distributive centre of the Dominion, neither farthest north, nor farthest south, but at the geographical centre and the population centre of New Zealand.