THE AIRPORT ISSUE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25386, 18 November 1943, Page 6

THE AIRPORT ISSUE

Sir, —"Costly Transport” again blunders into pointless remarks about the relative costs of air and sea transport. I had previously ignored these as being senseless and apart from the issue at stake. If his absurd contention was upheld then there would be no need for airports at all. That there is a marked increase in air transport cost is admitted, but the fantastic figures taken from a random overseas article which was written for certain obvious reasons could be given the lie direct, simply by coming closer to home, where relative costs may be much higher than in the United States. We find that our air mail is being used at aSO per cent, on cost. The comparative passenger fares are about the same, and a profit is being shown. But what of the value of time saved? Does that not count? It is a live factor with the city business community. “ Costly Transport ” appears to be of the gracefully retired back-block farmer type to whom time does not count very much. It is a)l a case of history repeating itself. What became of sailing ships once the more costly steamship became thoroughly estab. lished? What happened to our coastal shipping trade when the more costly rail transport became established? What happened to our rail transport when the more costly road motor transport became established? Sailing ships vanished altogether. Coastal shipping suffered severely, and special legislation was passed to save the railroads from financial disaster. That air transport will not entirely displace rail or maritime transport is obvious to all. but it is reasonable to make provision for its rightful place in our community. Speed and accessibility are big factors which should be and actually are weighed up with the question of transport costs to-day. The fact that the Tasman Air Service fares are double those of the shipping services will not mar the success of aviation. These costs will be considerably reduced when land planes come into use on this service, and that will be the time when Dunedin will feel the want of a nearby airport. If, as Mr R. S. Thompson asserts, air transport costs 250 times more than shipping, and our present local air rates are only double those of shipping, then either shipping is profiteering or air services are charitable institutions.

As time inarches on air transport costs will fall, but we must see to it that Mr Thompson’s efforts to bolster up decadent shipping interests at the cost of ascending air transport are marked by a full stop. I acknowledge Mr Thompson’s duty to the Harbour Board. It. is nevertheless only one of the many public interests in our community, and the Expansion League’s duty is to foster the interests of the city and community as a whole and not the interests of a section. Therefore. We have no axe to grind. Our whole desire is to provide for air transport without sacrifice to shipping. Why all this bitter opposition to obtaining expert opinion? Where and when it comes from is not Mr Skinner’s bnsiness—at present. That will come in due course. Anent the jibe about foundations, this is Mr Sinclair’s “ baby," and he will no doubt ably defend it, but I am constrained to observe that I have personally felt the ground mentioned shake underfoot with passing traffic which must be injurious to building foundations. Aircraft have no foundations to affect. This is a simple solution to the “unanswerable argument.” In fact, such conditions as springiness would rather have a cushioning effect upon landing aircraft. Some provision for aircraft is generally conceded to be necessary and, that being so, it is all a question of selecting the most serviceable site. I challenge “ Costly Transport,” whose identity must be obvious, to accept a plebiscite of the views of the experienced civil air pilots of this country on the question of the best location for an airport site for this city. I do not wish to convey that the opinion of these pilots should be accepted as the last word upon such a subject. There are very many aspects to be considered apart from the suitability from the most experienced pilot’s point of view and in which direction they could but hazard perhaps a good guess. That is why the league desires investigations by qualified experts.—l am, H. M. Mac Kay, President, Otago Expansion League. November 16.