AIR TRANSPORT CONTROL

Taranaki Daily News, 4 August 1934, Page 9

AIR TRANSPORT CONTROL

POWERS FOR LICENSING • THE FEARS OF SOME MEMBERS. MOTORS CITED AS EXAMPLE. COMPETITION WITH RAILWAYS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. The second reading of the Transport Licensing (Commercial Aircraft Services) Bill was moved in the House of Representatives to-day by the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, who referred to the growth of aviation and said the time had arrived when they should consider the position that was likely to develop fairly sOon.

Local bodies providing landing grounds were not affected by the Bill, but if a company grew to such an extent that it had regular services and carried mails, passengers, etc., the Government would endeavour to see it received the best possible treatment. Companies in New Zealand had tried to develop services, but the type of machines had been unsuitable. Now improved machines were available, and they were of British make. Civil aviation would be placed under civil control.

It was essential that all forms of transport should be co-ordinated, continued Mr. Coates. The license would be from ySar to year; therefore no vested interests would have an opportunity to grow up. It was thought by many people that New Zealand was not suitable for air services, but with the types of machines now available and the class of pilot also available services were quite possible. The services of the Meteorological Office would be required, and it looked now as if commercial aviation could be seriously undertaken. It was better to take control before services started than endeavour to come in later. It was better that private enterprise should undertake the services, perhaps assisted by the Government, than that the Government should establish services itself. “NECESSARY FRAMEWORK.” Mr. M. J. Savage (Leader of the Opposition) said that as far as he could see the Bill provided the framework of necessary control. He thought there, was a big future ahead of aircraft services. It sounded well for the Minister to say “Let someone elie do the rough and tumble work and we will come along afterwards.” He thought the State should get in on the ground floor. He could not imagine private enterprise building up a service and then handing it over to the State. He saw nothing undesirable in the Bill, but he was not an expert. The Bill should be delayed until the men connected with aviation had had an opportunity to study the Bill and express an opinion upon it. Mr. A. E. Ansell (Co., Chalmers) said it was undesirable that the State should take over the development of air sero vices. He asked the Minister if preference would be given overseas or local interests when applications for licenses were made. He suggested local companies should obtain a substantial consideration.

Mr. D. G. Sullivan (Lab., Avon) said that if the Government was to take over the services after they were established it would have to pay large sums by way of compensation. Mr. S. G. Smith. (Co., New Plymouth) said his objection to the Bin was that the Transport Board had the right to grant licensing. It would cost £50,000 to establish a service to operate between Auckland and Dunedin, and because of the board’s constant consideration for the railways the thing would be killed, at the start. He was in favour of licensing the machines, but he asked for time, to give the people affected an opportunity to study the provisions. Mr. R. McKeen (Lab., Wellington South) said the Bill should be sent to a committee. The Government had not spent more money on the development of aviation in the aggregate than the local bodies, and the local bodies should be considered. He was doubtful if the granting of monopolies on one or two routes to certain companies would be in the interests of aviation or of New Zealand. The time had come when there should be national air services. The time was opportune for the State to' establish its own services. They did not want a repetition of the broadcasting experience, when public opinion forced the government to take over the service. . WILL IT ENCOURAGE SERVICES? Mr. A. Harris (Co., Waitemata) also said he doubted the wisdom of handing control of aviation to the. Transport Board. He could not conceive that the policy followed by that authority would be in the direction of encouraging air services. If it adopted the same attitude as it did to motor transport there would be fewer services rather than more. Mr. A. J. Stallworthy (Ind., Eden) said he agreed with the action of the Minister in taking time by the forelock and safeguarding the future. He supported Mr. Smith , and added that they were putting too much power into the hands of bureaucrats. The over-capitalised railway service should not be supported to the detriment of the rights of the people for lower fares and cheaper transportation. Mr. A. S. Richadrs (Lab., Roskill) said no company could be expected to establish a service unless it had security of tenure. Therefore he urged the Government to- take the responsibility in such services, which must play an important part in transportation in the Dominion. The Government should not risk a company demanding substantial compensation, as it probably would do if granted a continuous license. The Rev. Clyde Carr (Lab., Timaru) also complimented the Minister on “getting in early.” He said he could appreciate the difficulties created by conflicting interests in co-ordinating transport, and he wondered if it would be possible to co-ordinate road and air services. He was afraid that with the rapid development of air transport some older services would be displaced. Air transport must be long transport and eventually would 1. e heavy transport. It seemed to him, therefore, that the railways were doomed. Civil aviation should be internationally controlled. He hoped provision would be made for appeal, in cases where licenses were refused, to a separate independent body. He suggested private shipping companies should be brought into line. with other transport organisations. Mr. W. E. Barnard (Lab., Napier) said the Bill was necessary. He was pleased to see that civil aviation would be under the? control of a civil authority and not a military authority. Mr. Coates in reply said private enterprise could do the pioneering work pretty well. Licenses could be granted for a period up to five years. He thought they would get an efficient organisation established only if time were given it to develop properly. The Transport and Coordination Boards had been criticised, but he thought the majority of the people fovoured those boards. It had been suggested they had done nothing, but of 4S services previously flying between Auckland and Hamilton there were now only four or six. The Bill was original and not copied from others. Improvements might be effected. The aero clubs had shown great interest and sent for copies of the Bill. The BUI wgs read a sgcofid