CONTROL TOO LONG.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXV, Issue 237, 5 September 1945, Page 4

CONTROL TOO LONG.

Lsr defiance of the Air Ministry's ban on civil flying the London Gliding Club has commenced flights after the long recess imposed by the war. The intentention to resume activities on a large scale has been mentioned by a club official. In this way its members are expressing profound resentment that with the war against Germany now in the background they haA-e not been allowed to function. Gliding has been a most valuable means to creating an air sense and the part played by gliders in the war was of outstanding merit. The American army authorities' were quick to adapt to the national purpose all experienced glider designers, builders, and pilots, and 'gliders as . large as twinengined transports and bombers were in use early. The defiance of the London Gliding Club is an example of public resentment against the excessive use of controls, and may be accepted as a healthy sign of public interest in the return of freedoms, the war took away. The inimical effect of continued controls is frequently found in public apathy to the matters concerned. A case in point relates to supplies of canned fruit in New Zealand. This has been subject to control for so long that quite a number of people are indifferent now whether they buy released supplies or not. Most have their own -preserved fruits in place of canned fruit. Recently, the Government announced supplies for public consumption on the release of certain coupons,' but surplus stocks are in retailers' hands, not wanted by the public who have lost the taste for such goods, and now the Government has authorised their disposal without the use of coupons. The lesson and harm to future trade ia this should not pass unheeded.