AIR TRANSPORT

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXII, Issue 4717, 16 November 1938, Page 6

AIR TRANSPORT

DEVELOPMENT OF AFRICA. London, October 10. Forecasts as to the increasingly important part to be played by commercial aircraft in long-distance transport have been made by Mr. Pirow, South Africa's Minister of Defence. To-day, he pointed out, in a broadcast talk, people spoke in terms of countries, but with the growth in air travel speed they would find themselves speaking in terms of continents. If South was to play its part in the development of the African continent, aerial services would have to be speeded up greatly and also enlarged.

He looked forward to the time when every day of the week at least one Imperial flying-boat would be leaving from Durban for Southamton, and also to the time when there would be a daily internal air service in South Africa carrying mails—and possibly passengers as well—to every village where there was a post office. One phase of progress which he regarded as being of special impprtance was the development of services bringing tourists by air to the great Central Africa lakes and Congo forests.

An interesting consignment of orchids entrusted recently to Imperial Airways was air-borne from Southampton to Durban, to form one of the chief exhibits at a show organised by the Durban and Coast Horticultural Society. There is a story associated with this particular shipment. The Durban Horticultural Society has been encouraging its members to grow orchids, many varieties of which are found to do well there. In order to provide an incentive to this branch of horticulture, the society decided to invite the support of prominent orchid growers in England, it being considered that the exhibition of English orchids would enable members to see the possibilities open to them, and would encourage them in further efforts.

An approach was made to English growers, whose co-operation was granted readily, and special crates of orchids were prepared for air transport. Thanks to the speed and smoothness of their journey, and to careful handling, the blooms reached their destination in perfect condition.