DOMINION’S DEFENCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22354, 30 August 1934, Page 8

DOMINION’S DEFENCE

STRENGTHENINGTHE AIR: FORCE BIG -BUILDING-PROGRAMME. (From Odb Parliamentary Retoßti*.) WELLINGTON,;' August) 20. , “ Some of the new general purpose aircraft land . aeroplanes for tbeyDefcnce Department, will shortly be;arriving-i« New Zealand, and it is expOoted jthat the anti-aircraft guns and equipment, an order, for which the War ..Qffice -has placed with ’the LOylabd ' Company,. will be delivered about the end. of the year,” slated the Minister of. Defence (Mr 'J. G. Cobbe) in an interview to-night. The Minister explained that , the ~ measure* authorised for'.’the strengthening-of ; the Dominion’s . defences- by providing antiaircraft batteries, additional;coa*t defence guns, and I bomber aircraft involved a proportionate .increase in the personnel of the Royal i New.. Zealand Artillery .and Royal New Zealand Air Force, To. house the new personnel and. the valuable equipment shortly expected to 'dome'-to band, a number- of .buildings were required at the air bases at Hobsonville,. near Auckland,,at Wigrhm, Christchurch, and at the artillery stations at Narrow Neck, Auckland, and . Fort Dorset, Wellington. “ The, building programme laid down,” Mr Cobbe said, ‘ provides -for the erection at Hobsonville and Wigranrof land plane, hangars, single men’* barracks,, residences for ' a number of married personnel,. both officers and : other .' rank*, and certain other buildings, while at Narrow Neck' and Fort. Dorset quarters for single men have likewise to be provided together with married quarters, for the officers'and other, ranks, ■ and also gun parks and stores buildings, i The Public Works Department Has been' entrusted with-the work- of; drawing up •the .required plans and . specifications for these 'buildings, A commencement has alread/ been made at Hobsonville with the , enla'rgemeijt of the store# .building there, and; the, erection of .wireless,'telegraphic; photographic, and medical buildings. Tenders ■ have also, recently been called for . three officers’ quarters there. It is ■ expected that the "plans and specifications for certain of other -buildings will. shortly be sufficiently advanced to allow of' tenders being called. The letting of the contracts for the erection of these buildings, the cost of which in some instances . will run into a , considerable sum,, will providc work for a'darge number of ■ tradesmen and others, ■; at the centres named.”