SUBSIDIES TO AERO CLUBS.

Wairarapa Age, 15 April 1935, Page 6

SUBSIDIES TO AERO CLUBS.

UNSATISFACTORY POSITION. PROTEST TO THE MINISTER OF DEFENCE.The action of the Government in budgeting for £4,500 to be allocated as subsidy to aero clubs and then failing to distribute the whole of the amount and also imposing certain restrictions, was strongly criticised at Thursday night’s meeting of the Wairarap-a and Ruahine Aero Club. It was resolved to protest to the Minister of Defence and to seek the support of the district members of Parliament. After referring to the time that elapsed before the Minister of Defence replied to the recommendations submitted last year by the New Zealand Aero Club regarding the basis on which the promised subsidy of £4,500 should be allocated to clubs, Mr. G. M. Spence, president of the New Zealand Aero Club, in a circular letter, said that the Department’s basis differed materially from that suggested by the Aero Club. It made no provision for the distribution of any unearned portion of the subsidy among clubs, any part not earned on the basis of the fixed by the Department remaining in the Public Account. No club could receive more than £5OO, even if it had actually earned more. Mr. Spence said he had written to the Minister protesting against the injustice of the position created, but from a subsequent reply it was apparent that nothing could be done in the matter this year. The president, Mr. W. L. Free, said that it was definitely unfair that clubs should have had to work in the dark and not know what they were going to receive by way of subsidy. He moved that a protest be made to the Minister of Defence against the final allocation by the Government not being published until 14 days before the end of the financial year. It was also decided to protest against £4,500 being budgeted for allocation to clubs when it was not by any means all paid out. The matters are to be referred to the Members for Dannevirke, Masterton and Wairarapa, asking them to support the protests.