CHRISTCHURCH AERODROME.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19616, 21 October 1925, Page 8

CHRISTCHURCH AERODROME.

MR CORRIGAN’S ALLEGATION. EMPHATIC DENIAL BY MR GEORGE WITTY. (Pee United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, October 20. Recently in a campaign speech in Taranaki Mr J. it. Corrigan said that after the last election the Prime Minister at that time had to scout round for three supporters, and he found them in Messrs L. M. Isitt, Allan Bell, and George Witty. In 1916, during the war, there was a company formed to start an aerodrome at Sockburn. It did good business until the war ended. In 1922 it was offered to the Government, which refused it. After the election it was gazetted that the Government had acquired it. Two members of Parliament wore directors of the company before the Government took it over. It was thought that it would not pay le in the pound on the investment, but it paid Ivs in the pound after the Government had taken it over. ' .

Mr George Witty gives the charges an emphatic denial. He says the aerodrome was started by the Hon. W. F. Wigram, a gentleman whom everybody respected, and whoso memory would live in the hearts of the people after Mr Corrigan wa 3 forgotten. Mr Wigram, with others who could not go to the war, felt that he should do something to help the country, and ho did so, and had these gentlemen received only Is in the pound not one would have grumbled. When the Government bought the aerodrome it was on the valuation of public experts, and after the Government had made the purchase Mr Wigram gave back to the Government £IO,OOO of the purchase money ns a free gift to the country. He had lost £15,000 in helping the Empire, and Mr Corrigan knew it. Mr Isitt, like many others who took up shares in the company with the object of doing their little nit in winning the war, wag the holder of 10 £1 shares, but was never a director of the company. Mr Witty, who held 100 shares on, the only member of the House of Representatives on the directorate, and he merely joined, like many others, with the eole object of assisting the defence of the country. Ho shareholder received a single penny as a dividend, nor had any director received any fee or remuneration whatsoever for his years of service, but they gave their assistance freely and without reward whatever.