MR KENT SEEKS INFORMATION ON AERO CLUBS

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 July 1950, Page 7

MR KENT SEEKS INFORMATION ON AERO CLUBS

WELLINGTON, July 27 (P.A.).— Financial assistance to aero clubs throughout New Zealand was the subject of a question to the Minister in charge of Civil Aviation (Mr W. S. Goosman) by Mr J. B. Kent (Opposition, Westland) in the House ,of Representatives today. Mr Kent asked if Mr Goosman would make an early statement about assistance for the clubs. In a note to the question, Mr Kent said that at the annual meeting of the Greymouth Aero Club, it had been stated that without Government support, many clubs would eventually exist in name only.

Press Inquiry Sought Mr P. G. Connolly (Opposition, Dunedin Central) gave notice to ask the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) whether, “because the statements of men prominent in the public life of the Dominion are being continually misrepresented and distorted, the Prime Minister will give an undertaking that he will set up a Royal commission to inquire into, the New Zealand press.” Mr Connolly said the Prime Minister had recently stated that the remarks of the Leader of the Legislative Council had been grossly distorted.

import Licences For Cars Mr T. H. McCombs (Opposition, Lyttelton) gave notice to ask the Minister of Customs (Mr C. M. Bowden) to stop the issue of no-remit-tance licences for imports of motorcars where the manufacturing .firm concerned takes the car so imported from a New Zealand quota. Mr McCombs said that, where this practice was followed, no extra cars were brought into the country, and persons on waiting lists had to stand down in favour of those fortunate enough to be able to obtain licences because they had sterling funds, or were prepared to deal on the black market to obtain sterling funds. Maintenance Of R.N.Z.A.F. Mr C. L. Carr (Opposition, Timaru) asked the Minister of Defence (Mr T. L. Macdonald) if he had read the reported statements of Mr H. A. C. Davy, Dominion president of the Air Force Association, that the Royal New Zealand Air Force was woefully under-manned, and that its equipment was almost prehistoric. Mr Carr =aid Mr Davy had alleged that “operationally the R.N.Z.A.F. scarcely exists”; that the Territorial Air Force was still flying Tiger Moths and Harvards; and that the shortage of technical staff demanded a drastic survey of the conditions of service. Mr Carr asked if the Minister, “because of our obligations under the United Nations Charter, will report on the position to the House at the earliest possible moment.”

FOUR ADDITIONAL APPOINTMENTS TO UPPER HOUSE WELLINGTON, July 27 (P.A.) .— The Government has made four additional appointments to the Legislative Council because it has found that insufficient provision has been made in the recent appointments to ensure the passing of its legislation. The appointments, which the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) announced this evening, are: Mr J. S. Allen, farmer, of Tirau; Mr Cheviot W. D. Bell, farmer, of Rangitumau; Mr C. H. Croker, solicitor, of New Plymouth; and Mr H. T. U. Marumaru, farmer, of Bulls. , ~ Mr Holland said that the death of Sir Apirana Ngata, which left the Maori people without representation, and the sickness of other members had left the Government without a working majority in the Legislative Council. . The Council now has a membership of 53, the largest for many years. Mr Holland announced 25 appointments, including that of Sir Apirana Ngata, last month. One of the four new members is a member of the third generation of his family to be associated with the Council. Mr Cheviot Wellington Dillon Bell is a grandson of Sir Francis Dillon Bell, who was a member of the Council from 1854't0 1856 and again from 1877 to 1882, and is the son of Sir Francis H. D. Bell, who was a member of the Council from 1912 until his death in 1936. Both father and grandfather were Leaders of the Council, and both m their time moved to have it made an elective body. Mr Bell has been appointed by a Government committea to abolishing the Council in its present form.