CENTENARY AIR RACE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIV, Issue 286, 31 October 1934, Page 4

CENTENARY AIR RACE

THE MANAWATU COMMITTEE. A meeting of the Manawatu Centenary Air Race Committee was held last evening, Mr A. E. Mansford presiding. Also present were Messrs A. Hopwood, R. Hopwood, W. A. Waters, F. Jackson, A. H. Honeyfield, D. F. Smillie, J. Purves, H. E. Edmunds, C. G. Moore, H. N. Cook, and H. Petre. Mr Smillie reported that the various sports clubs of the city had agreed to stage special fixtures for the benefit of the race entry fund. He added that a certain amount of success had attended the stock drive. The committee recorded an expression of appreciation of the splendid performance of Squadron-Leader McGregor and Mr Walker, Mr Mansford stating that their faith in the airmen had been fullv 'justified. The committee also decided to forward a letter to Mrs McGregor, congratulating her on her husband’s achievement. A similar letter is to be forwarded to Mr J. W. Walker, father of Mr Walker. Messrs Phillips and Powis, Reading England, the manufacturers of the Manawatu machine, wrote acknowledging newspaper cuttings relative to the piloting of the ’plane. They stated (on September 21) that they were looking forward to meeting the New Zealand- | ers. “We are very happy to be represented in this race by a machine piloted by two New Zealand pilots and hope that such a combination will prove successful,” the firm stated. The committee considered a letter from the J. C. Williamson Picture Corporation in which a tentative agreement was proposed for a tour of several New Zealand cities and towns by Messrs McGregor and Walker and Hewett and Kay. The committee decided to forward the agreement to the Auckland Aero Club for confirmation, the agreement to become binding upon certain information being received from tho airmen. The agreement includes a clause that the airmen shall speak for 20 minutes at a theatre in each town visited.

TOUR BY PILOTS. ATTITUDE IN~WAIRARAPA. Per Press Association. MASTERTON, Oct, 30. Regarding the suggestion that the Centenary Air Race pilots be invited to tour the Dominion, Mr W. L. Free (president of the Wairarapa and Rualiine Aero Club) said that, owing to most clubs running at a loss, with slender finances, he thought the scheme impossible, great as the public interest would be in such a visit. The first concern of the clubs should be their domestic finances. The tour to be made by the crews of both the Dominion entrants, he considered, would be of great interest and value.