AVIATION PROGRESS

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXVI, Issue 235, 17 September 1936, Page 9

AVIATION PROGRESS

Work on New Aerorromes

(By Telegraph— Special to “Tribune,”) WELLINGTON, Sept. 16. The work that has been done by the Public Works Department in the establishment of aerodromes and similar work was reviewed by the Minister, the Hon. R. Semple, in his annual statement to the House of Representatives to-day.

During the year, the Minister said, considerable expansion had taken place in the establishment of aerodromes, and a special branch had been established to work m conjunction with the civil aviation and air services branches of the Defence Department. In consequence of the quickened public interest and demand for air-transport facilities and the development of the Air force stations at Hobsonville and Wigram, much more rapid development of aerodromes and emergency landing Heids had been proceeded with than was originally contemplated. During the year air services were placed in operation on the main air triiiqc route between Palmerston North and Dunedin and across Cook Strait from Wellington to Blenheim and Nelson, in addition to the air services already in operation between Gisborne and Napier and on the West Coast of the South Island. Further extensions to these services are contemplated in the near future.

“The development of aerodromes and emergency landing-grounds,” continued Mr. Semple, "is being primarily concentrated to provide a chain of fields along the air routes which am either already in operation or shortly to be commenced. Forty aerodromes or landing-grounds were actually under construction during the year, and construction proposals are under consideration for an additional sixty or seventy fields. Work was provided on aero-drome-construction for a maximum number of 2100 men, who might otherwise have been engaged on less productive work. Much of the greater portion of the expenditure to cover this work was made available from the unemployment funds, and a total of £202, 860 was expended from this source. In addition, ’ £3464 was expended from the consolidated fund to cover the provision of tools, plant, materials, and overhead, £79,561 from Defence Department funds (including the £5OOO civil aviation vote), and an additional £4854 from the Public Works funds, most of which is recoverable.”