THE GREAT AIR RACE.

Evening Star, Issue 21689, 7 April 1934, Page 12

THE GREAT AIR RACE.

Two suggestions have been made for assuring New Zealand a part in the great air race from England to Melbourne which will be a feature of the Victorian centenary celebrations. The Canterbury Aero Club thought that it would help flying in this country if a fund should be raised by public subscription or otherwise to allow a prize of £6,000 to be offered for the continuation of the race across the Tasman. The first prize for the main race will be one of £IO,OOO. The Auckland Aero Club thought that a fund of that amount should be raised, with assistance from the Government, to enable a New Zealand pilot or pilots to compete in the race that has been already arranged for. A second motive which has been urged for some such enterprise is that it would be a great advertisement for New Zealand. The Canterbury plan might amount to that if it were practicable. There is a probability, however, of the EnglandMelbourne race, with its shorter sea distances, being. contested by machines which would be altogether unsafe for crossing the Tasman. And if a NewZealand competitor, publicly financed, should happen to distinguish himself in the original race he might feel constrained to come on across the Tasman in a machine that would be unfitted for such a flight. An advertisement might be gained by the Auckland plan, or, in the multitude of competitors,' it might not. In any case, it would be liable to be dear at the price. As for furnishing a stimulus to aviation in this country, the ‘ Dominion ’ has pointed out that “ for £IO,OOO New Zealand, or a syndicate of New Zealand aero clubs, could purchase ten aeroplanes and have a tidy sum left over to fuel them. Alternatively, £IO,OOO would pay a goodly portion of the salaries of two first-class flying instructors for a decade.” Or the Government, when it has the means, might do more for flying by increasing its small subsidies to clubs—“ cut ” now as a consequence of depression—to a sum that would compare not ridiculously with the British and Australian allowances. The centenary air race, as wo understand it, was planned to be a contest for airmen, not for nations. If any New Zealand fliers feel that they would have a chance in competing and care to do so at their own expense, with such voluntary subscriptions as may be raised for them, everyone will admire their enterprise ; but it is not surprising that proposals to raise funds, with Government assistance, for fliers who have not yet been named seem to have fallen very generally on deaf ears. Government money certainly can be spent to much better purpose.