GIFT AEROPLANES

Evening Star, Issue 16211, 5 September 1916, Page 4

GIFT AEROPLANES

STATEMENT BY HON A- M. MYERS. Some particulars of what New Zealand is doing in regard to gift aeroplanes to the Royal Flying Corps we.ro contained in a statement made in Auckland on Thursday evening by the Hou. Arthur M. Myers, president of the Overseas Club in New Zealand. At a recent meeting of the. Auckland Provincial Aeroplane Committee it was d-s----cided to transmit the sum of £2,500, which had been raised in tho Auckland province, to Mr Myers, who had presided at tho first meeting of citizens called for the purpose of considering) the collection of funds for the presentation of an aeroplane to fchb War Office,. A balance has yet to come, but meanwhile Mr Myers already lias cabled the amount to the High Commissioner in London, and in furtherance of the views of the local committee, has asked that the sum be handed to the Overseas Club as a subscription by Auckland towards the purchase of a machine. It has been suggested that tho machine should Tie called Tho Auckland,” and also, if possible, that it should ho piloted by an Auckland aviator. Mr Myers drew attention to the fact that the first district in New Zealand to give tangible support to this branch of our fighting line was Poverty Bay, whose inhabitants patriotically subscribed for and presented to the Admiralty a Henry Farmau biplane, costing £2.300. Through Iho generosity of tho Union Steam Ship Company, Dunedin was enabled to follow suit in presenting a" machine to tho Royal Flying Corps, costing £2,250. Auckland s contribution to our air forces of £2,soo—with more to follow—is therefore third on the list, and will more than defray the cost of a 100_ h.p. Gnome-Tickers biplane, in full fighting trim. The Cteyo biplane fund has now reached a !i>mre approaching one that will enable New Zealand to bring up her contributions to the air fleet to four complete units. Mr Myers also stated that steps arc beiim taken to found an aviation school in Christ" church, from which it is hoped to supply fully-qualified young pilots for service at the front. In view of the conviction expressed by many aero-nautical experts, that in future the Power that commands the air “'ill rule the world, it is ,te be hoped that che fullest and strongest support .will be accorded to New Zealand’s two aviation schools jn Auckland and in Christchurch. Australia also was not far behind the times, a new aviation school having recently been opened at Clarendon. It was pointed out by Mr Myers that each district in Now Zealand that contributed a machine has the orivilege of naming it, and should it be destroyed the War Office will replace it by another machine heaving the same name. “ The day is not, far distant,” concluded Mr Myers, “ when ail British frontiers will be patrolled by aeroplanes; when over large tracts of sparsely inhabited land, such as there_ are in Australia and Canada, these machine will be used for policing purposes; and when aeroplanes for commercial purposes, for mails, and for passengers will become a matter of ordinary routine. The first nation to organise and co-ordinate ics air service for commercial purposes after the war will eventually outdistanoo other countries. That New. Zealand did not mean to bo loft behind is evidenced by the awakening that is taking place on the part of the peopie to the important part that the science of aviation is going to play, not only in defence matters, but also in our future social and industrial development.”