The Hawera Star TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1028. NEW ZEALAND PLYING GROUNDS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 25 September 1928, Page 4

The Hawera Star

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1028. NEW ZEALAND PLYING GROUNDS.

Delivered every evening by 6 o'clock In R&wera. Manair.. Normanby. Okaiawa. Eltham, Jlangatoki. Kaponga. Alton, TTurleyville Patea. Waverlev. Mo-oia, Whakamara, Obangai, Meremere, Frasei Roail. and Ararata.

We can quite imagine that many New Zealanders chuckled wickedly when they noticed Squadron-Leader Ivings-ford-Smith reported as stating in Auckland that the environs of that city offered the hast conditions in New Zealand for flying. Our distinguished visitor probably little guessed that the statement which would be accepted as a compliment in Auckland would create heart-burning in the South Island, and especially in Canterbury, where the “Southern Cross” is awaiting his return. If he had made a similar comparison between Sydney and Melbourne, ho could have been held blameworthy for lack of tact, for as a good Australian he should be aware that there are some things better left unsaid by a public man who wishes to retain the good will of the people of those two centres, but it would be unreasonable to expect, in an airman who has but recently alighted in this country an understanding of minor inter-island jealousies. The average New Zealander who is quite content to be where he is and concerns 1 himself not at all with questions of comparative merit which sometimes exercise the minds of members of college boards and municipal councils, will derive a certain, amount of amusement from the spectacle of the famous airman innocently setting the protagonists of the two islands at each other’s throats. A Christchurch evening newspaper at once rose to the l bait and made it clear, in a spirited defence of the claims 'of the. South Island, and of the province of Canterbury in particular, that the superiority of the South Island was such that no defence- of its attractiveness os a flying ground was necessary! It dismissed the airman statement as mere “ leg-pulling,” and proceeded to show how little the North Island, the province of Auckland, omd the city of Auckland in particular, had to offer visiting airmen that would stand comparison with southern conditions. . This paper stated that the prevailing cloudiness of the northern city’s atmosphere, its three-times-greater rainfall, >and the hilly nature of its country all combined to place it far down on the list of practical air-ports. We would have thought so, too, in considering the position generally, and without special knowledge, but we are quite prepared to admit that Kingsford-Smith should know! South Taranaki has not, of course, anything more than an outside interest in any controversy which may ensue regarding the respective merits of the landing grounds at Auckland and at Christchurch, but this district, with HaweTa as its centre, cannot afford to ignore anything, which may arise apropos of the subject, for hero we have claims of our own to put forward when the time comes to select a stopping place midway in the aerial route between Auckland and Wellington. The Australian aviators have confirmed .the opinion expressed by New Zealand airmen who have recognised Haw era as the most suitable place for refuelling machines flying over the principal through-island route, and this recognition is destined to be of value to the town and to South Taranaki generally when flying becomes 1 as popular here as it is already in Australia. It is too early in the development of aviation in this country to express an opinion as to Whether tli© Whole responsibility of providing a good ground for .landing and faking off should be accepted by private enterprise or by the community voluntarily. It does seem reasonable at this juncture to assume that the Government will have to take the matter of provision of grounds into consideration in conjunction with any plans it may have for the development of the aerial branch of the Defence Department, and it is also to be expected that any private enterprise that may take up commercial aviation in the future will have to take cognisance of this phase of any such venture; but it is also reasonable to expect that the town and district will keep abreast of the times in this respect and do all in their power to make any proposition which includes Hawera in its plans as easily practicable as 1 possible.