TRUNK AIR SERVICES

Evening Star, Issue 22084, 18 July 1935, Page 12

TRUNK AIR SERVICES

PALMERSTON N. GALL REFUSED AVIATION DEVELOPMENT'S PROTEST fPiR United Punas Association.] WELLINGTON, July 18. On behalf of Aviation Development Ltd., an Auckland company, recently formed for the purpose of co-operating with Mr Withers in the inauguration of Great Pacific Airways’ trunk services, Mr Hutchison (Mayor of Auckland), a director of the Aviation Development Company, states_ from Auckland that at a meeting of directors yesterday surprise was unanimously expressed at the action of the Transport Co-ordination Board in prohibiting Great Pacific Airways from calling at Palmerston North. This surprise was not unmixed witli feelings of profound dissatisfaction at the manner in which the issues recently decided had been dealt with by the board. Mr Hutchison said Mr Withers was usked to submit written arguments as to whether or not Palmerston North should be included in the AucklandDunedin route of the Pacific Airways; also what protection should he granted Cook Strait Airways in respect to the Wellington-Blenhcim section, but was refused copies of the representations submitted by Union and Cook Strait Airways, which he desired, to enable him to reply adequately. He had only a few days to comply with the board’s request, and finally had to submit hurried arguments in which, however, he showed conclusively that the proposed exclusion of Palmerston N. could not be justified on the ground that the Great Pacific service would conflict or compete with Union Airways, which had been described by the board itself as primarily a mail service co-ordinating at Palmerston North with the southbound and north-bound Limited and ordinary expresses. Mr Hutchison took the strongest exception to such important public issues as those dealt with by the Transport Co-ordination Board not being dealt with openly at a properly advertised sitting, giving local authorities and other bodies the opportunity to submit their views as to the effect upon their communities. Had the board dealt with the matter at a public sitting, it would have been inundated, with representations from all parts of the Dominion, and the general public would at least have had the opportunity of expressing their views and drawing attention to undoubted rights of which they were now deprived.