The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1934. THE PRICE OF PROGRESS.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXVIII, Issue 19959, 17 November 1934, Page 8

The Timaru Herald SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 1934. THE PRICE OF PROGRESS.

Synchronising with I,lie painful impression caused in aviation circles in England and Australia by the loss in Australia, of the new air liner designed for regular air transport on I lie routes between Australia and England, comes the confident forecast of a distinguished air expert of what the air liner of three or l'onr years ahead will provide. There is always a. certain significance in the accidental fact that reports of a tragic air disaster should he followed almost at once by confident forecasts of faster and more comfortable air travel within a few years. It lias always been so; disaster and progress seem to have gone hand in hand right down remembered years. In the Old Land, or example, the recent loss of an air liner in the English Channel in the third considerable air disaster within eleven days, synchronised with the christening of the wonderful D.H. Comets that were to win such fame in the Centenary Air Race. The cause of many accidents in the air has never been ascertained — air disasters in older countries almost similar to the air tragedy that marked the inauguration of the air mail service between Australia and the Malay. In one disaster in the English Channel and in the Australian loss, the air liner was a new one of approved type. The pilot was an aviator of great experience and high qualifications. There was nothing in the weather conditions which could explain the catastrophe which overtook the aerial voyagers and sent them to their graves. So long as such disasters can happen—and the records up to date do not encourage the belief that the inexplicable air tragedy is yet becoming much less frequent—we cannot boast that man’s control of the airways is complete. There is still an unknown element of risk, though a small one, which has been practically eliminated from land and sea travel. But the march of progress in the air continues unfalteringly, and despite the frequency of disasters in the air, air travel is becoming more popular each succeeding year. In the evolution of the air liner Britain has played an important part; indeed, twelve years of progress in the design and construction of passenger air liners is illustrated strikingly by a comparison which is now possible between the latest craft of the Diana type (involved in the accident) and the machine such as the DH.IB, one of the first aircraft to be built for regular air transport on the routes between London and the Continent: The D.H. 18, which was put into service between London and Paris in 1922, was driven by a single 450 h.p. engine, and carried a paying load of I,loolb. at a maximum speed of 115 miles-an-hour, and at a cruising speed of 95 miles-an-hour. In contrast to this, the modern “Diana” type of machine, which is driven by four engines developing a total of 800 h.p., carries a pay load of 3,1471 b. at a maximum speed of 170 miles-an-hour, and a cruising speed of 145 miles-an-hour. Actually the increased reliability of the four engines in the “Diana” machines—any two of them maintaining the machine in flight when carrying a full load—together with the increase in cruising speed of 50 miles-an-hour, have been accompanied by an improved commercial performance which is represented by the fact that, whereas the pay-load per horse-power of the D.H. 18 was 2.41 b„ that of the “Diana” machines is 3.91 b. Constructional progress, in the twelve years from 1922 to 1934, is demonstrated by the fact that whereas the D.H. 18, built to carry six passengers and a crew of two, weighed 7.2001 b„ a machine of the “Diana” class, designed to carry 10 passengers and a crew of two, does not weigh more than 6,3511 b., even when incorporating all the factors of structural security which are an essential feature of British air design. This means that the factor of weight per horse-power has been reduced from 161 b. to 7.91 b. It is specially noteworthy that these improvements in commercial performance have been accompanied by a remarkable allround increase in the comfort of passengers, as is evidenced by modern luxury air saloons with their sumptuous fittings, full catering service, and noise reduction, even when flying at high •speeds. It is undeniable, notwithstanding the price the human family has been forced to pay for its experiments in the air, that year by year in British aviation, the science of flight (which for all the courage and enthusiasm of its pioneers is still only in its infancy), goes steadily forward step by step towards its goal.

SIGH'S OF TRADE RECOVERY Tt is encouraging to note that the obvious signs of returning prosperity that have become so conspicuous in the Old Country, are by no means absent from New' Zealand. A special official wireless message from Rugby published the other day, conveyed the interesting information that the report of the administration of the British Road Fund for 19331934 indicated that the total payments of motor tax amounted to £31,577,718, compared with £28.702,370 the previous year. The report showed, moreover, that during the thirteen years ended in 1933, the number of motor vehicles in Britain has grown

from 873,700 to 2,282,000. It is estimated, the report says, that the figures for 1933 represent one motor vehicle to every twenty persons in Britain. Simultaneously the report; on the results of the Olympia Cycle and MotorCycle Show was published, showing that orders amounting to £2,000,000 had been taken. Something of the same kind of a boom in the purchase of motor cars, motor cycles and cycles, being experienced in Ihe United Kingdom, .is showing itself in New Zealand. The figures recently given by Mr Coates are most interesting. Addressing the National Conference of the Federation of Manufacturers, the Minister of Finance said that the recent increase in spending power had shown itself in the almost phenomenal figures for the registration of new motor vehicles. For the six months ended in September last the registrations of motor-cars totalled 4875, as compared with 1858 in the corresponding six months of last year. The number of commercial vehicles registered in the same' period was 1901. as against 994 in the corresponding period last year. The detailed figures for six months show:

Totals .. .. 994 1901 It is not surprising, therefore, that these figures, taken into account with others given to the country in a comprehensive review of the trend of business in New r Zealand, should be regarded by the Minister of Finance as justification of a more optimistic view' being taken of the. Dominion’s economic outlook. VALUE OF IRRIGATION. Two factors appear to be directing more intelligent attention to the possibilities of irrigation as a solvent of some of the major problems confronting the Canterbury producers; namely, the prospects of a hot dry summer and the likelihood of w'orld price levels showing little improvement in the near future. In an address, on the possibilities of irrigation in Canterbury, delivered in Christchurch, the principal speaker declared most emphatically, that “to-day Canterbury is standing still. The reason for this,” according to the speaker, “is because farmers are forced to get the maximum from their land.” The practice yields pernicious results: there is a marked tendency to overtax much of the medium and lighter soils, particularly where cropping is practised. This results in the impoverishment of the soil with resultant loss in productivity and value. The obvious need of Canterbury is more water on the plains; indeed, it is generally agreed that irrigation would yield improved quality products and increased production. Hence it will be seen that the future development of Canterbury will be determined by the courage and enterprise displayed by Government and people in embarking upon a comprehensive irrigation scheme. As the speaker said the other night: It is significant that all the great civilisations of the past were developed in arid and semi-arid districts—Egypt, Mesopotamia, Palestine, China, Mexico, and Peru —and only one rooted in a humid climate—Europe. Canterbury’s climate could be termed semi-arid, but its land had tremendous advantages, and it was certain that irrigation would be of benefit not only to the province, but to the W'hole of New Zealand. It was a startling fact that to-day one-third of the people of the w'orld lived on irrigated land. What a commentary on those who say that irrigation has still to be proved! Plainly enough, as has been repeatedly pointed out, the opportunity to expedite irrigation schemes in Canterbury is at band, and definite steps, along lines suggested by public speakers who have addressed themselves to this question within the past year or tw'o, should be made to impress upon the authorities the urgency of the work and its value as a means of alleviating unemployment by putting hundreds of men to work on the creation of national assets in the form of irrigation works that should become revenue earning almost at once.

Motor -cars. 1933-34. 1934-35. April . 281 629 May . 208 665 June 987 July . 288 692 August . 336 848 September .. . . 339 1054 Totals .. . . 1858 4875 Commercial l Vehicles. 1933-34. ' 1934-35. April . 104 235 May 203 June 473 July . 152 293 August . 166 318 September .. . . 216 379