AN AIR MINISTRY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22808, 18 February 1936, Page 10

AN AIR MINISTRY

ESTABLISHMENT URGED NEED FOR CO-ORDINATION lPer United Presc Association) WELLINGTON, February 17. " Where the air provides the best means of transport it is going to be used, and wherever the demand is for a first class service it will be the Government's job to supply it," declared the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage) today in replying to a deputation from the New Zealand Aero Club, which urged the establishment of an Air Ministry. " Moreover," added Mr, Savage, " we do not want the governing of aerial services to be situated in some other part of the world. We want to train our own pilots and in every way to prove that we are capable of giving some assistance to others in the British Commonwealth instead of trying to lean on them." The deputation comprised Mr C. Weinstein (president of the New Zealand Aero Club), Mr D. Clive Crozier (president of the Canterbury Aero Club), Mr P. R. Climic (secretary of the Canterbury Aero Club), Mr S. F. Nielson (secretary of the New Zealand Aero Club), and Mr J. H. Brailsford, representing the West Coast (South Island) Aero Club. A considered statement of the deputation's views on aviation generally was read by Mr Weinstein to the Prime Minister, who had associated with him the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones).

The deputation submitted that the future policy for the development of aviation would have to be recast in order to keep pace with the developments in other parts of the world and also with the urgent needs of the Dominion. The question of establishing an Air Ministry had become one of extreme urgency, Mr Weinstein said, and the present haphazard manner in which aviation was being controlled forced them to present an urgent appeal. He submitted a scheme in which the activities of the aero clubs would dovetail into civil aviation and defence.

Referring to subsidies, the deputation recommended the granting of £IO,OOO next financial year to enable the aero clubs to train more pilots and also suggested that the Government should issue annually eight machines of the correct tvpe to clubs. v Mr Jones assured the deputation that a subsidy would be allocated to clubs before March 31. He agreed as to the necessity for more co-operation between the various departments. The question of an Air Ministry would receive consideration.

Mr Savage said the Government was wholeheartedly with the aero clubs in their ideals, "it was only a question of working out the details.