PEOPLE HAVE RIGHT TO RISK THEIR OWN LIVES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18419, 22 March 1928, Page 10

PEOPLE HAVE RIGHT TO RISK THEIR OWN LIVES

MUST NOT STOP AVIATION INITIATIVE. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. LONDON, March 20. During the Air Estimates debate in the House of Commons, LieutenantColonel J. T. C. Moore-Brabazon (Conservative) said: “We had a bad week of aviation last week—--1 cannot remember a worse —but I hope that we are not going to lay down a stern rule of what people ought and ought not to do.” People had a right to risk their lives as they liked. It would be a retrograde step to surround them with difficulties to stop initiative, whatever mad enterprise they might indulge in. It would be like stopping Drake going round the world before the seas were charted. We had had a serious setback in the attempt at the seaplane speed record, but it was really extraordinary that cut of all the hundreds of miles flown at great speed Flight-Lieutenant Kinkead’s was the first fatality marking our attempts at the record. Colonel Brabazon hoped that we would regain the record, which was most important t.o the prestige of our industry and engineers. Sir Samuel Hoare, Minister for Air, replying, said that the trouble with civil aviation was the shortage of money. From the viewpoints of reliability, economy and administration England was definitely ahead in civil aviation. Referring to war ’planes, he said that the Committee of Imperial Defence urged that the minimum force should be fifty-two squadrons. The strength at present was between thirty and forty. There would be no peace until it reached the minimum. He did not want to disparage the bravery and initiative of Atlantic attempts, but considered rather that they should not be attempted until the machines were better qualified for the effort. He foresaw the greatest, difficulty in the State attempting to pre-' vent individual flights. How could he or any Department tell when a pilot was actually about to cross?, Many such flights had been undertaken without his knowledge. lie did not wish to dogmatise, but his present view was that it would be unwise to take any responsibility of the kind.—Aust. and N.Z. Press Assn.

ANGLO-AMERICAN DIRIGIBLE SERVICE BEING PUSHED AHEAD,

WASHINGTON, March 21. for a London to New York dirigible service are being formed, under the leadership of Mr Alex Dow, chairman of the Board of the Detroit Edison Company. It is proposed to operate a fleet of six dirigibles by the company, which will be jointly owned by British and American interests.— Aust. and N.Z. Press Assn.