BRITAIN'S AIR FUTURE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 135, 9 June 1945, Page 11

BRITAIN'S AIR FUTURE

LORD SWINTON IS CONFIDENT

O.C * LONPON, March'l6,' Viscount Swinton, Minister for Civil Ayi&tion, pamted a bright picture for the future of the, industry when he explained the chief points of the WMte Baper tP the Jlouse of Lords. British civil aircraft—as good as the bombers we have turned out in wartime—will soon^e.'pro(Juce^, botft in long-range and short*-range types, .he said; He'forecast' dates of'production on three types. Tudor I would start f'"a trickle of prociuc'tipn'' iii June; Tudor II in November, with a flow of production "early next year; V.C.I, a slow beginning at the start of next' year, getting into its stride about the middle of next ■year. '■•**; ..••..''.)

Among ideas we should encourage after the, war; he ..said,";wefe family fortnightly tours, by air. with fighter piaiies turned into' charabarics. *

, The White Paper proposals received a' "welcome from. all quarters. of the House:/ ■ ''■■ '■ '■■■'- ' ','■ •■• •" • > ■■'••

Viscount Rothermere, who began the debate, while congratulating "Lord Swinton on his speed in producing the White Paper, asked the Minister to calm. anxieties about the provision of aircraft. The most controversial part of the White' Paper was that dealing with the part British" Overseas Airways Corporation would play. Everybody who had travelled. by Air Transport Command or 8.0.A.C. would prefer to do so by 8.0.A.C. Unfortunately there was no question that a single chosen instrument was bound, sooner or later, to inherit the vices of complacency. There could be no question! also, that three chosen instruments were better than one. But his difficulty was to know whether there were actually three in the White Paper. "It seems," he said, "rather like the doctrine of the Trinity to be three in one 'and one in three. I do not know wher,e one starts and the other ends." Hpw could competition develop between" three organisations so mixed up as those proposed? It seemed that if anything: went wrqng it was easy for one organisation to blame another, tt would be easy for the South American shipping interests or the rail-ways who were going to form the European side to put the blame on 8.0.A.C. if thei£ corporations did not give adequate service. Why was jt that 8.0.A.C. should have its finger in the pie of both the other chosen instruments instead of being allowed to maintain itself on its own, so that it could be judged according to its merits? .He also : criticised the amalgamation of the European and internal airways jas providing a "monopoly of the air lover Britain." Lord Southwood, for the Socialists, said they would table a motion on the subject in the near future. Lord Rennell hoped it wpuld not be imposr sible. for a fourth corporation. to come into existence. ;.? JThe Marquess of Londonderry hoped that the Minister would maintain the vital feature of free enterprise ih the work under his control. "I am glad of one thing,"' he added, "and that is that cut-throat competition is not likely to arise." WILLING PARTNERSHIP. Viscount Knollys, chairman of 8.0.A.C., in a maiden speech, said that what those in air transport had been hoping for was a definite scheme -with its main features, which would be lasting enough to enable them .to plan, ■ organise, "arid operate with somepror mise of "stability. Now at last they had r.ealiy .got down to the job,; free, he hoped, from many of the changes? arid disturbances • which ' had made their task'so'difficult. 8.0.A.C. _v|d for long advocated . partnership with other forms of• transport. "I assure you we are very willing partners," he said. "For ,us it is not &\ all what, in the western; States-of America, they..would call a -'sljotrgun. wedding.' We made our proposals of marriage a very long time before the Goverririient. What they are doing today is to put up the banns." After saying he; was confident that British industry, would in the end produce the finest transport aircraft in the".-jworld, .Lo.i.d, Knollys..Ju £fledja American air lines' part ,in - civill aviation. . .'•_,.-■•' "I have respect for their efficiency and achievements and we can learn a great deal from them," he'said.. "But do not let us get an inferiority complex about it. We are a good deal nearer to having real competitive air lines running on the world's routes than many people think. There' is a. good.deal which it has not been possible to say, and if you knew what it was I think you would feel more confidence than a good many people feel. We have a plan .which gives us a chance to get on.w-ith the job. We heed the aircraft, we have the men, and if we can count on the enthu-. siasm and support of the British public, .I am quite confident that we are going to build up airlines of which, in future. British people willbe proud." Lord Rennet, speaking for the four main-line railway companies, declared that they warmly welcomed the plan. "I have seen it suggested,"- he said,' "that the railways intend to go into these corporations and play the part of the murderers of the Babes in the Wood—to strangle them on the sly. The suggestion is too preposterous. The' companies are prepared to find all the capital which the Government requires and are prepared to submit to the condition that they cannot get it out again. A commercial corporation does not voluntarily slaughter its own family." Viscount Trenchard said that he supported the White Paper proposals, if hot wholeheartedly, ' very strongly,

Lord Kennefs. speech shpujd reassure those who thought the railway and shipping companies were trying to keep passengers on the ground and in the ships. Lord Brabazon said that the holding of the railway companies and the 8.0.A.C. should be half each, or it would be unfair to 8.0.A.C. "W|E DO NOT REGRET." > Lord Swintqn said that the South African conference to which he was going would clinch all matters about the route from this country to South Africa. Remarking that speed in decision was important in civil aviation matters, he declared: "We have given our all in this war, including practically the whole of our civil aviation. We have given up our* air lines and building civil machines in order to concent trate: entirely on the great machines for- the common war effort. We do not regret for one moment that we have given our all, but the fact' that we have done so does certainly mean-that. we cannot afford to wait while others go forward." It was important to have a national.-policy for civil aviation and to have ■ Continuity, because air transr port touched foreign policy and Im** Serial interests,.at so many points,, lomestic policy must be consistent with national policy and in line with international policy. That policy was to try to achieve equilibrium between traffic offered and capacity, a fair division between one country and another, and agreement as to routes so as to avoid subsidies and cut-throat competition, which were great breeders of ill-will. "Our plan," he remarked, "elastic as it is, can conveniently fit in with any scheme which may be adppted for any part of Europe. For instance, we can take our part for any aviation arrangements made in Germany," CHEAP AIR TRAVEL,. He had had more ingenious ideas about cheap air travel from the railway companies than from anyone else. One of the companies had suggested family tours. fortnightly by air. "The company have suggested that we could take a Bristol fighter and turn it ...into a charabanc," he said. "There would be a full pay, load. The aircraft need not be fast, but it could do short hops and people would have much more time on the ground to do their sightseeing. That is a line we ought to be getting on to as soon as war is over. It is not the attitude of people who want to suppress the industry; It is a forward-looking attitude." The railways would not have a majority either in shareholding or on the board. On the board, of the European company there would be not only those representing the actual- shareholding, but two or three independent persons. * Regarding pre-war operators, he said that they would be offered an opportunity to go into the mam corporation, ■or, if it was in the travelling interest, a subsidiary company could be formed by partnership between the main corporations and pre-war operators. Management wguld rest entirely with the boards of the companies, and the fact that 8.0.A.C. would have a minority of directors would mean that there was a pooling of experience. But each management, would try out its own ideas and there would pc cooperation. ''.'".'■ RIGHT OF APPEAL. •^The^;case-''for..-groupin'g-'--Bu-ropeaj3----a-r----routes -;with the United Kingdom was unanswerable. "Competition is* not going to come on the routes that are nonrlucrative," he went on, .'but; on those'people think are worth -while muscling in on, because they are going 'to make money. Companies with milr lipns' do npt want to be stiumulated when money is to be made. They want to be stimulated to go where the money is not made but where services are wanted. You won't get that by com-* petition, but you will get it by saying to corporations that they . must take the rough with the smooth." At the same time he wanted to see set up an independent tribunal so that there could be an appeal, if it was said that facilities were inadequate or rates too high or that there, was undue preference. A firm . decision had- not yet been taken, but he thought himr self that it would be convenient if the same tribunal also dealt with applications to run new routes. It was in*tended that once the boards were appointed by the Ministry they should be responsible for the management of the business and not to the Minister or the Cabinet. ' Lord Morris, criticising the White Paper, quoted a "Daily Telegraph" leading article, which stated that;., the powers of the Minister over the boards "might be very dangerous in wrong hands." ~•■__„."' " 'Might be' is good," he said. The powers are autocratic and dangerous, and should not be given to one I individual." I