RONGOTAI AIRPORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 115, 18 May 1938, Page 8

RONGOTAI AIRPORT

REPORT WANTED

EXPENDITURE ASPECT ,

The view that if it is possible for the. Government to do so it would be in the public interest to release the report submitted, by the committee of experts on Rongotai as an air base was expressed at the meeting of the .Wellington Chamber of Commerce last night. The chamber decided to write and ask for a copy of the report as soon as it is nossible to release it. Mr. A. R. Hislop, as convener of the transport committee, first reported that as a result of the combined deputation to the Government an Invitation to submit evidence in regard to the transTasman air terminal had been received from the Wellington Harbour Investigation Committee. A statement had been prepared and handed in. Captain S. Holm said that, although it had nothing to do with the question of the trans-Tasman service, he was wondering whether the Government could release the report it had on Rongotai as an air base. . He understood that it was now some weeks since the report was submitted to 'the Government and he thought it would be of interest to the public if it was released. "I don't know what reason there is for not making it public," he added.

Mr. M. G. C. McCaul said there appeared to be a great deal of trepidation in regard to the report. It was recognised that the report, if it was to be a report of real value, would recommend expenditure that would appear to be at first sight staggering, but when one considered the expenditure that had been necessary to make the harbour efficient to handle the trade of the port and the ambunt of money spent on the railway system to handle the trade for the port, he thought they should not shrink from very heavy expenditure to make Wellington equally efficient to handle the air transport that was here now, and which would increase enormously in the near future, and would increase almost beyond the bounds of their present comprehension in the future. ; "I-think you will agree with me," (Mr. McCaul concluded, "that the business community must support the proposal even if it means the expenditure of a very large sum, if if will convert Rongotai, into a- first-class airport capable of handling the services that Wellington requires." . "For my part I consider it is one of the most important matters that is before the Wellington community at the present time and particularly the business community," said the president, Mr. P. E. Pattrick; "I although we are naturally concerned when a large expenditure is in prospect, that this is a case where we simply must go forward or we shall go backward, and it is just a question of whether the expenditure that is going to be large is wise expenditure. For my part I certainly consider that expenditure in making Wellington a leading airport of New Zealand is calculated' to be very wise expenditure."'