“INSULT TO WAIKATO”

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1937, Page 7

“INSULT TO WAIKATO”

AERO CLUB NOT RECOGNISED

MINISTER CENSURED

[PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

HAMILTON, December 10.

Strong censure of the Government’s action in refusing to recognise the Waikato Aero Club, was voiced at a public meeting at Hamilton, last evening when a motion was carried unanimostly: "That this meeting expresses full confidence in the committee of the Waikato Aero Club, and pledges active support, and that the attitude of the Minister of Defence, as outlined in the report presented, was unjust and unfair, and was strongly resented as a slight on the Waikato district. The meeting is of the opinion that while the Government recognises clubs in other districts, it demands at least equal treatment for the Waikato.” It was the contention of the Chairman (Mr. C. B. Smith) that the Minister of Defence treated their application in a most unfair manner, as no application made had so much merit. His actions were an insult to Waikato, and to the pioneering work the club had done in aviation. Mr. Smith pointed out that there were eleven recognised aero club' in the Dominion. Originally there were eight, and the Government had said it would not have any more, but had not abided by that. Clubs were formed, and applying for recognition from time to time, were duly recognised. The Minister, Who had the power to do so, had stated he would not recognise a club in Waikato. This was a serious blow as without Government recognition, the Waikato Club could not belong to the New Zealand Club, and thus could not share in any assistance the Government had to offer. U.S.A. NAVAL SUCCESS. (Recd. December 10, noon.) COLON (Panama), December 9. One of the greatest naval non-stop mass flights was successfully completed, when 14 new bombers, with a personnel of 98, arrived from San Diego, covering the distance of 3080 miles in 21 hours 30 minutes. BISHOP’S WIFE SAFE. (Received December 10, 8 a.m.) KHARTOUM, December 9. Mrs. Bullen, wife of the Bishop, was not in the wrecked plane. She remained at Malakal. STUDENTS’ CONSTRUCTION. ; • RUGBY, December 8. Students at the 1 College, of Aeronautical Engineering are about to undertake the construction of three light aeroplanes. One will be built to a special design for the Air League of the British Empire. In another case a well-known designer has asked the college to. build a new'type of light aircraft for him, and the third machine will be chosen in a competition for a £lOO prize arranged by the college to evoke the best possible design of light aeroplane. The competition, which is open to all, has attracted entries 1 from Holland, California, Canada, and South. Africa. STAY-IN STRIKE. PARIS, December 9. A stay-in strike began at the Caudron aeroplane works at Issy. les Moulineaux because of the dismissal of 22 men, for whom the management says there is insufficient work. The strikers dispute thisi contention. The Air Ministry is making efforts for a settlement, but the 1 management refuses to negotiate while the works .are occupied. I FLYING BOATS. SYDNEY, December 9. According to advice received here, the Empire flying-boat Centaurus, is due at Darwin on December 17, and will begin a survey of possible bases 1 for the flying-boat air mail service. The Centaurus will arrive in' Sydney oii December 24, after which it will visit New Zealand. IMPERIAL AIRWAYS. , . [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, December 9. With the journey of the Imperial Airways’ liner Horatius from Croydon to Paris, a total of 250,000' passengers carried by the Heracles class 1 liners was reached. This fleet of HandleyPage craft will shortly be superseded by planes of higher speed. No passenger in any .of the 'Heracles class air-linens'' suffered injury. LIGHTNING STRIKES PLANE [BRITISH OFFICIAL WIRELESS.] RUGBY, December 9. A hail storm, accompanied by lightning, forced down the Imperial .Airways liner, Horatius, on the flight from Paris to Croydon. The liner landed at Lympne, where ; an inspection revealed a flash had burned a two-foot rent in one wing, The passengers, who included Miss Ellen Wilkinson, M.P., continued the journey to London by train..