NEW ZEALAND AVIATION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20244, 2 May 1929, Page 12

NEW ZEALAND AVIATION.

POLICY OF GOVERNMENT.; ATTITUDE TO AERO CLUBS. [B* TELEGRAPH. —KRESS ASSOCIATION.] WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A preliminary announcement with respect to the Government's aviation policy was made by the Minister of Defence., Hon. T. M. Wilford, to-day. In answering an inquiry as to what was the attitude of the Government toward the aero clubs of New Zealand, the Minister said; " When the policy of the Government is settled it will be announced bv the Prime Minister, but before it is announced it will bo my duty to see how many clubs are essential 3nd what aret their requirements. It is useless for any set of enthusiasts to start out to run an aero club unless they can seo a certain £3OOO a year in hand for the running o£ the club."No club can be run under that figure; that is after it has the ground, the hangars and the machines. The Minister added that since his assumption of the portfolio of defence ha had given a series of lecturettes on aviation at various places from Auckland to tho Bluff. "To every body of men interested I. have approached," Mr. Wilford said, " I have submitted a question for their earnest and considered thought. It is this: " 'lf war were declared to-morrow our cruisers would go to the Near East naval base and be under tho one naval command. Our defence would consist of guns in fixed positions and land forces. If ona armed merchantman belonging to the enemy arrived 150 miles off this coast with "a mother ship carrying 10 or lu aeroplanes, equipped with and bombs for the destruction of our cities, what 18 our defence!' - 5