AIR-MINDED AUSTRALIA

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1937, Page 5

AIR-MINDED AUSTRALIA

advantage to business eltham man returns mr. fitzgerald's visit A brief but active fortnight spent in Australia by Mr. G. H. P. FitzGerald, managing director of the New Zealand Co-operative Rennet Coy. Ltd., has left vivid impressions in his mind of the advantages to business from air travel. Mr. FitzGerald has lately retumed to his home at Eltham enthusiastically air irurided and thoroughly convinced that future development in New Zealand will, as in Australia, be along the lines of expanding airway services. The comfort of air travel and the amount of time saved was commented upon by Mr. FitzGerald when speaking to a News reporter yesterday. Making Sydney his headquarters, he was able in the sho'rt time at his disposal to visit and do business at both Brisbane and Melbourne, the first a 500 mile flight done in under three hours normal flying and the second 490 miles covered in about the same time. On the Brisbane flight he travelled in a 14 passenger Douglas plane which carried a crew of two pilots and a "hostess". The cost was little in excess of that by rail, but the saying in time, the comfort and the novelty more than compensated him for the extra expense. On the Melbourne journey cold luncheon was served, while on other flights it was the practice to serve a cup of tea mid-way. Storm Encountered. Usually, said Mr. FitzGerald, the services were maintained with the great" est regularity, but on his way from Sydney to Brisbane a heavy storm was enlountered and visibility was reduced to imsafe flying conditions. Moreover, the pilot was unable to obtain aerial communication with Brisbane. Under these exceptional circumstances the plane was headed for the coast, where conditions were fourid to be better and a landmg was made at a small town known as Coff's Harbour. Passengers in the Pla^| were not alarmed, but were interested to read later in the newspapers that during the storm hailstones the size of oranges fell at Brisbane. Twelve fiours later the hailstones were still as large as a hen's egg, and people gathered them to replenish their ice-boxes. Everybody in Australia encountered by Mr. FitzGerald seemed cheerful and abundantly satisfied about . the prospects of the future. Business was brisk, seasons better and production good. This was particularly noticeable in Queensland, where the dairy industry was growing rapidly, and considerably more cheese was expected to be manufactured. Mr. FitzGerald noted that people seemed much more interested in the consumption of milk and milk products than was the case during his previous visit two years ago. Milk bars had sprung up in large numbers and a ready demand was being experienced for such delicacies as junket and cream. Considerably more interest was being taken by merchants and those connected with the dairy industry in increasing the consumption of milk. Even in hotels it was noticed that for their final course at meals people were askdng for ice cream instead of the usual sweet. This changing tendency was the more strikmg in that during his visit temperatures were not noticeably high.