Gift of Warplane From Hawke’s Bay

Manawatu Times, Volume 65, Issue 180, 1 August 1940, Page 2

Gift of Warplane From Hawke’s Bay

PROVINCIAL EFFORT TO RAISE FUNDS (From Out Own Correspondent.) HASTINGS, July 31. That the Hawke’s Bay province contribute a warplane to the Royal Air Force. This was the suggestion made at the weekly meeting of the Hastings Rotary Club yesterday, and further consideration is to be given the project at next week’s meeting. It was emphasised, however, that any campaign to raise funds for such a gift should not be merely a Notary effort but a provincial one, with the full co-operation of all sections of the community from Wairoa to Dannevirke.

The fact that it was only a short time ago that the district and province rose magnificently to the occasion for a national patriotic appeal, and also that since then there had been a substantial increase in the taxation burden of the community, was mentioned by Chief Rotarian E. T. Gifford, when making the suggestion. Nevertheless, he thought that at least members could give consideration to the proposal, and on his recommendation it was agreed that a general discussion should take place at th£ next meeting to decide whether or not to give effect to the suggestion. “I want to make it quite clear that it is not my idea that the gift of a Hawke’s Bay plane, if one is to be made, should be purely a Rotary effort,” said Mr Gifford this morning when questioned by the Herald-Tribune on the subject.. “I feel that any effort made should be by the whole of Hawke’s Bay, and I am sure that there will be forthcoming the full co-opera-tion of all organisations, local bodies, and, in fact, all sections Gf the community.”

Mr Gifford mentioned that since he had put forward the idea he had received a large number of offers of help from many different sources, and it had been pointed out to him that there were already in hand a number of valuable gifts that could be raffled. The raffle committee, which functioned so successfully during the recent Sick and Wounded Appeal campaign, had offered it* services.

“It would probably cost about £30,000 to procure a bomber,” said Mi Gifford. “I don’t know whether we could get that amount. Still, it could be done if the whole province got behind the scheme, as I feel sure it will. The gift of a bomber is only one idea. It might be a fighting machine or even a Red Cross plane. The type could be decided upon when an organisation was set up to launch the campaign.”

Mr Gifford indicated that it was probable that the suggestion would be placed before other Rotary clubs in the province for an expression of opinion, and that possibly the initial co-opting of the local bodies and organisations in the various districts would be made through the Rotary clubs. The mayor, Mr G. A. Maddisor. who is also a member of the Rotary Club, said that he would be pleased to give the project his wholehearted support, and was confident that not only Hastings but the whole province would enter enthusiastically into the camno ten.