AIRWAY ROUTE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 195, 17 July 1935, Page 8

AIRWAY ROUTE

DELETION OF PALMERSTON NORTH. WELLINGTON DISSATISFIED. WELLINGTON, July 16. The Mayor (Air T. C. A. Hislop) today commented candidly upon the decision of the Transport Co-ordination Board, announced yesterday, that Palmerston North is to be excluded from the route of the main Dominion passenger air service, that of Great Pacific Airways. This decision, said Mr Hislop, will seriously lessen the value of the service to 'Wellington and to the southern portion of the North Island.

Air Hislop also remarked upon the fact that the decision was arrived at after a short deliberation in camera, and that the request of the Wellington City Council to he given an opportunity to protest against any alteration of the route of Great Pacific Airways, as determined in the first decision of the hoard, was not acceded "to, though the hoard is, under the Act, required to take into account tho representations of local authorities and other local bodies.

In the course of a comprehensive survey of the board’s decisions, Air Hislop says:— “I think that the people of AVellington must feel disturbed at this latest decision. It is true that AVellington is not cut out of the main trunk passenger service. It is however, equally true that, through the deletion of Palmerston North, AVellington has been out off from an area which would have been of considerable value, to it in a trunk service. Under a route scheme with Palmerston North as a calling point, as in the earlier decision, tlie aeroplanes of Great Pacific Airways arriving in the morning would be able to connect with and to bring to AVellington passengers coming from all that great district up to northern Hawke’s Bay, and right up to Gisborne, and also from the area more adjacent to Palmerston North than to AVanganui. By the deletion of Palmerston North all that source of potential passenger traffic coming to or proposing to travel through AA’ellington is cut out. Similarly, the north-bound aeroplanes of Great Pacific Airways travelling through AA’ellington will be of no value to all those who would otherwise have been enabled to disembark at Palmerston North on their return or on visits to the above-mentioned area, of which Palmerston North is the focal point. “The deletion, therefore, of Palmerston North from the main passenger service—indeed, from the only useful passenger service—is a matter of vital concern to AVellington, as well as to Palmerston North.

“In my opinion,” added Air Hislop, “the Act under which the board ojierates is by no means satisfactory. The position is that those interested are simply called' upon to submit proposals for air routes and the board decides upon the suitability of these routes. This seems to me to be a most cumbersome way of going about the organisation of air services. I should think the best way of dealing with this important problem would be for those who are actually expert in aviation, in conjunction with the appropriate Government officers, to bring down a fully-considered scheme of what routes are considered desirable throughout the country, and that those routes, either in whole or part, should then he open to competition by tender to those prepared to establish flying services over them. “That, however, is a much wider question than the issue immediately at hand, the deletion of a vital point in the main passenger trunk air servic'd of the Dominion. It is to he hoped that the last lias not been heard of tin's matter. The AVellington City Council particularly regrets that it was not given tbe opportunity—which under the Act it appears lull}' entitled to claim—of placing its views, along with those of other bodies vitally interested, before the Transport Co-or-dination Board before this last decision was made.” BUSINESS AIEN’S VIEAV. SURPRISE AND REGRET. AVELLINGTON, Julv 17. “If it is a question of taking off the gloves—well, let us take off the gloves,” said Air A. R. Hislop at a meeting of tho AVellington Chamber of Commerce last evening, when the decision of the Transport Co-ordina-tion Board to exclude Palmerston North from the route of the main Dominion passenger air service to be conducted by Great Pacific Airways came under discussion. Air llislop said that Palmerston North was the obvious connecting link for the whole of the North Island, and it was the duty of the chamber to support the Mayor and councillors of AVelliugton in the fight they were putting up. The chamber had been refused an opportunity to give evidence before the board made its filial decision. In fact, it had received no acknowledgment of its request, which, to say the least, was discourteous of the board. The chairman, Air AI. G. C. AlcCau), said that directly the. chamber became aware that there was a possibility of Palmerston North, AA’ellington and Blenheim being deleted from the itinerary, a meeting was held and on July 9 the’ chamber made a request to the board that it be given an opportunity to be heard. It was pointed out that the capital city of New Zealand was of sufficient importance to warrant the provision of every facility for travel bv air, and that the deletion of the three air ports mentioned would adversely affect the trade of tho city. No reply was received either by the chamber or by the City Council. Mr C. J. B. Norwood said that the whole council of the AA ellington Chamber of Commerce was unanimous that the question was an important one. The company should not l>e debarred from any reasonable opportunity to give greater service. Palmerston North was all important point. The following motion, moved by Mr P. E. Pattrickf was carried unanimousThat this chamber desires to bring before the notice of the Transport Coordination Board its extreme surprise and regret that tho chamber’s request to he heard by the hoard before it made any variation of the licenses it previously granted after heaving evidence at the public inquiry held on March 22 was apparently disregarded. Furthermore, this chamber considers that the variation decided on by the hoard is inimical to the best interests of the large area and population served bv the capital city in conjunction with the city of Palmerston North, and trusts that it is not too late for the board to remedy what this chamber considers to be an obvious and serious error of judgment.