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Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20763, 25 June 1937, Page 8

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INQUIRY INTO AIR TRAGEDY REASON EXPLAINED By Telegraph—Press Association WELLINGTON, June 24. The reasons for the inquiry into the aviation accident at Big Bay on December 31 being held In private were explained by the Minister of Defence in a statement to-night. He said the I question had been carefully considered | and it was felt that the full facts concerning an accident could best be ascertained by taking the proceedings in private. His only concern was to see that in the public interest the full facts were ascertained, and that in doing so no one was placed in an unfavourable position because he was required to give evidence. Referring to the Press Association message from Invercargill concerning the application by counsel for the Air Department that the inquiry be held in private, Mr Jones said that as far as he himself or the Department was concerned there was no reason why the inquiry should not be public. The matter had been very carefully considered both by himself and the Air Board, and it considered that as interest in aviation in New Zealand must be paramount, consideration of the full facts concerning an accident could best be ascertained by a private inquiry. The Board of Inquiry was not in the same position as an ordinary Court in that it was to make recommendations only, and was not empowered to impose penalties such as was the case, for example, in a marine inquiry. “As the application by counsel and the subsequent discussion have been very fully reported,” said the Minister, “I think it fair to add that my only reasons for requesting a private inquiry were (1) to enable all possible evidence as to the cause of the accident to be produced, so that action can be taken to see that similar accidents of the same kind may be avoided in future, and (2) that no party to the inquiry, such as the pilot of the machine, should possibly have his standing as a pilot impaired because of the fact that he is required to give evidence at the inquiry. I feel that a board of inquiry such as this which is to investigate and report on an accident and to include in its report observations and recommendations with a view to the preservation of life and the avoidance of similar accidents in future should be afforded the opportunity of obtaining possession of all the relevant facts from the witnesses. As soon as the report of the board has been received and considered, a full statement will be issued to the public.”