OPENING OF NEW EPOCH IN TRANSPORT.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLII, Issue 20512, 2 September 1936, Page 6

OPENING OF NEW EPOCH IN TRANSPORT.

Something of a recognition of the passing of an epoch in human transport, was given in the ceremony yesterday which marked the turning of the first sod in the construction of the Timaru airport. Right down the long years since the first white men wended their way from north to south, Timaru has been a stopping place for the moving population and as the evolution of transport marked the passing of the pack-horse, the bullock dray, the horse and cart, to give place to travel by sea, the railways and motor cars, so man inspired by a progressive spirit is steadily becoming so air-minded that lie is taking unto himself wings with which to fly. Hence the vital importance of the ceremony on the Saltwater Creek site yesterday afternoon. But the ceremony was more than the mere turning of a sod to mark the commencing of the construction of an airport. As one of the speakers at the ceremony yesterday said, aviation is destined to play an increasingly important part in the civil and military policies of all countries. Hence the people of Timaru, through the municipal authorities, demonstrated yesterday that a broad vision inspires the community to march in the forefront of progress and keep pace with the times. It is therefore of some interest to note, as the Mayor pointed out yesterday, that the ceremony on the Saltwater Creek site yesterday synchronised with the sixtieth anniversary of the railway reaching Timaru. The precise date was February 4, 1870. The Mayor, on his part, who has his eyes on the future, feels confident in expressing implicit faith in the courage and vision of the present generation of citizens to draw inspiration from the past and to go forward with renewed courage to face the problems of the future: ‘'With the experience of the past, it is necessary that we in our day should have vision and face the future with courage, selfreliance and determination, so in the days to come, it cannot be said that we have failed in the trust handed down to us by the dauntless pioneers. So, to-day, we meet to celebrate the commencement of the work on the airport for Timaru, which we hope will be a success in every respect and will mark a new epoch in our transport system.” The new epoch in transport will find the people giving more and more patronage to air travel. Hence the vital importance from a community viewpoint of Timaru providing itself with a commodious and adequately equipped airport that will inevitably become a valuable link in the trunk air services that are now being developed with such amazing increase in popular support, and with an efficiency that augurs well for the future.