TASMAN FLIER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22250, 26 October 1935, Page 14

TASMAN FLIER

SUPPORT FOR CHARITY

OTHER REQUESTS DECLINED

EX-SOLDIERS' FUNCTIONS

Dozen* ot' letters, telephone messages anil personal calls from people desirous of interesting hint ill schemes "t various kinds have heen received til's week hv -Mr. \V. .M. O'Hara. the New Zeaiand airman who flew the lasman last week. Although .Mr. O'Hara stated earlier that he had no desire to commercialise his success!ul venture. he has had many requests to lend his name to a variety of enterprises in return for a fee. He has declined in each ca.se. Mr. O'Hara said yesterday that he would not make jwrsonal appearances at functions of any kind, unless some charity was to benefit as a result. He intended to tour New Zealand by air when his Klemm monoplane was repaired. and after conferring with the Returned Soldiers' Association in Auckland he had agreed to appear at lurictions arranged by different branches of the association. A number of inventors, chiefly with designs for new aircraft, had approached him in Auckland, seeking his support, Mr. O'Hara added. He had been unable to pass an expert opinion on any of the models or plans shown him, however, as he was merely a civilian pilot- with no knowledge of aircraft design. Numerous requests for information concerning conditions of lite m Java and the opportunities there for advancement hai.i been made, lie said. Some of the inquirers had spoken of purchasing plantations, but probably thov did not realise that such estates cost IM 0.000 or £-00.000.

Other people, evidently seeking employment. had inquired concern iris; the labour market in Java. He could not offer any encouragement for such people to make the journey, however, as the unemployment problem was acute there. The huge sugar industry had suffered severely through the depression and many highly-skilled men, specialists in their work and with an intimate knowledge of conditions as well as of the Dutch and Javanese languages, were unemployed. With such men as these unable to find employment, the unqualified stranger's chances of success were infinitesimal.