R101 DISASTER INQUIRY

Taranaki Daily News, 17 October 1930, Page 9

R101 DISASTER INQUIRY

PROPOSALS OF NEW MINISTER. FUTURE OF SISTER .SHIP. British Wireless. Rugby, Oct. 15. Lord Amulree, who has succeeded the late Lord Thomson as Air Minister, is already engaged in constituting a committee of inquiry into the cause of the RlOl disaster. An announcement regarding its constitution and terms or reference will be made shortly. Lord Amulree is also considering the question of compensation for tho relatives of the RlOl victims. The new Air Minister is one of the areateat living experts on industrial arbitration and conciliation. He has never taken .an active part in politics and now takes Cabinet rank. His experience of flying he described as just that of an ordinary man. “That is, I have flown to .and from tho Continent several times.” , Regarding the suggestion that all reconditioning work on the airslup RIW had ceased pending a decision on tho future of British airship development, it. is officially stated that the present intention of the Air Ministry is to avoid new commitments and the inception of any work which might prove unproductive, at the same time avoiding ■as far as possible the discharge of personnel who might subsequently have to be re-engaged. It is stated that the reason for inserting an extra bay in the RlOO was largely to make provision for the use of helium, which has less lift, than hy-droo-en. It is proposed to increase the airship’s capacity to. 500,000 cubic feet of aas. The importance of helium is all the more greatly stressed since the R.lOl disaster. • ~ It is unknown yet whether the stoppage and the future airship policy dep<jnds solely on tho result of •til©' RlOl inquiry. ~ . . Another message, says it is officially stated that the reconditioning of RlOO after the Canadian flight has ceased pending a decision on future airship development.