The Hutt News THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1930. THE AIRPORT. DETERMINED OPPOSITION.

Hutt News, Volume 3, Issue 16, 11 September 1930, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1930. THE AIRPORT. DETERMINED OPPOSITION.

- It is always a distinctly unpleasant thing to have to . adversely criticise the actions of members x^vQf a local body presumably chosen fill that position by the electors because it had been thought that th«y would worthily do so. But when it is shown that the members prefer to act at the dictates of their own prejudiced and biassed ideas, quite regardless of the public interests, it becomes necessary to voice with no uncertain sound the general public opinion. For some unexplained and inexplicable reason the members of the Hutt.River Board have made clear their definite and determined opposition, so far as lands under their control are concerned, to the proposed establishment of an aerodrome. With the private and per-, sonal opinions of the members of the Board upon the subject we are not in any way concerned. But we deem it our duty to comment ■on the dog-in-the-manger attitude assumed by the Board in relation to the lease of certain at present unused and unusable land known .as Scaby Island at the mquth of the Hutt River. Full details of the Board's action in this matter were given in the last issue of the "Hutt News." Reference thereto, will show that while the Board is not making any use of the area alluded to, and it is obvious .that for many years the finances available will not suffice to meet the •enormous cost of reclamation needed before it. can be of the least service to the Board or the public generally, a definite refusal of the Aero Club's application for a lease, on terms especially, favourable to the district, was carried with ,v,bu>fc. one dissentient,, voice. The Club's offer to the Board was,. it must be generally admitted, a yery liberal one insofar as expenditure on the lancl is concerned. Thousands of pounds would be exp'eftded upon works thereon," and incidentally w rork could have been provided for a number of the unemployed in our midst, and every penny so expended would thus have been of two-fold benefit to the community, and doubtless, in addition to this expenditure, the Club would be prepared to m some measure of rental annually. But the Board, • with a strange lack of foresight, or else a measure of antagonism to the scheme of aviation generally, refused to ■even consider the application for * lease for a longer term than five years, a period obviously insufficient to justify the Club in expending the large sum of money necessary to put-the ground in suitable condition to be used as .an aerodrome. . A pxierile and pre-

posterous suggestion was advanced that the Club should, ignoring the expert advice and requirements of the Director of Aviation, reduce the proposed expenditure by shortening its runaways, evidenced a-lack of knowledge of the subject truly amazing, or a predetermined desire to place every obstacle in the way of the establishment on the Board's property of one of the most useful and desirable public utilities. And

•it must be remembered that this Ip^is not the first occasion on which the Board has blocked; the efforts of the Wellington Aero Club to establish in our Borough.an aerodrome upon part of the Board's endowments; witness the case of <Jear Island. It is impossible to conceive that the members- of the Board are blind to the fact that commercial aviation in this Dominion has passed the stage of possibilities, and is now an ascertained fact. Other districts are reaching out eagerly for the proVision of the greatest facilities for this coming branch of industrial iaransport. Amongst the towns

| and districts in all parts of the Dominion that are recently making adequate provision for aerodrome accommodation are Invereargill, Blenheim, Gisborne, and i the city of Auckland, the local I governing bodies of which are doing their utmost,to make suitable provision, at the cost of the taxpayers, for airports suitable to the needs of this coming air and seaplane service. It must be borne in mind that in the case under review the ratepayers are not being asked to contribute one penny towards the cost." 'All that is required is that a site suitable for aeroplane and possibly hydroplane binding should be placed at the disposal of the Aero Club which is prepared, given a reasonable term of tenure, to make the present useless area suitable to their 'requirements, and incidentally thereby assist in the reclamation. It would appear incredible that any body of sane men with* such facts before them, should after a cursory and brief discussion turn down.a proposal which if carried into effect wou^d add materially to the value of their property, and undoubtedly be of r material •■..advantage to the district generally. The past aifd the present Governments have been alike, favourable to anything calcivlated to assist in the dev.elopm.ent of civil aviation, and under the existing financial circumstances are ' doing everything possible to further this end. It has been suggested, that the Aero Club is composed of a number of wealthy people who should pay for their own amusements and no,t seek favours at the hands of the River Boai'd. This, we submit is exactly what they are doing, though we are authorised to contradict.the report as to the members being plutocrats in any sense of the word, the membership embracing men of all ranks of society — mechanics, craftsmen, merchants, apprentices, clerical and tramway workers, and in fact people of all grades anxious to be in the forefront of the new and wonde,rful ; development of the transport industry. Not a'few of us saw the first mojtor car. that eyer traversed the streets of Wellington, and which one of us would have ventured to predict at that date the growth of the existing motor traffic of today 'I So with the flying industry. We have seen a few planes during the past few" years, but who amongst us will be bold enough to predict the future of this the most modern method of passenger and goods traffic? The attitude of*the Hutt River Board in regard to aviation appears to us to be most extraordinary, and though we are fully aware that criticism or advice from anyone, even a friendly suggestion from the senior local body, has in the past caused the Board to rear and prance in offended dignity, we yet have the temerity to advise a reconsideration of its past attitude toward the Aero Club, and to suggest that putting obstacles in the path of progress is not conducive to securing public support in future elections.