AIR SERVICES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 167, 19 July 1935, Page 8

AIR SERVICES

ATTITUDE OF THE BOARD STRONG EXCEPTION TAKEN ’> [ Per Press Association. | WELLINGTON, July 18. Ou behalf of Aviation Development. Ltd., an Auckland company recently formed for the purpose ot co-operating with Mr. Withers in the inauguration of the Groat Pacific Airways trunk services, Mr. Hutchison, ex-Mayor of Auckland and director of the Aviation Development. Company, states from Auckland that at a meeting of directors yesterday surprise was unanimously expressed at the action of the Transport Co-ordination Board iu prohibiting Great Pacific Airways calling at Palmerston North. The surprise was not unmixed with fee-lings uf piuiuund dissatisfaction at the manner m which the issues recently decided had been dealt with by the board. Air. Hutchison said that Mr. Withers was asked to submit written arguments as to whether or not Palmerston should be included in the Auckland-Dunedin route, or included in Pacific Airways; also what protection should be granted Cook Strait Airways in respect of the Wellington-Blenheim section, but was refused copies uf the representations submitted by the Union and Cook Strait Airways, which, he desired to enable him to reply adequately. He had only a few days Io comply with the board’s request, and finally had to submit hurried arguments in which, however, he showed conclusively that the proposed exclusion of Palmerston could not be justified on the ground that the Great Pacific service x»ould be com

plied ox compete with Union Airways, which had been described by the board itself as primarily a mail service coordinating at Palmerston North with the south-bound and north-bound Limited and the ordinary expresses. Mr Hutchison took the strongest exception to such important public issues as those dealt with by the Transport Coordination Board not being dealt with openly at a properly advertised sitting, giving local autiwrities and other bodies an opportunity to submit then views as to the effect upon their coni munities. Had the board dealt with the matter at a public sitting it would have been in undated with representations from all parts of the Dominion and the general public would at least have had au opportunity of expressing their views and drawing attention to the undoubted rights of which they are now deprived. FURTHER PROTESTS COMMENTS BY MAYORS. [ Per Press Association. I WELLINGTON, July 18. Further protests were made to-day against the proposal of the Transport Co-ordination Board to exclude Palmerston from the Auckland-Dunedin main trunk service. Mr. Hishop (Mayor of Wellington) replied al length to lhe further statement from the board, and said that it contained many noticeable inconsistencies. The Wellington City Council had no inkling of the possibility of Palmerston being excluded until the board announcement was made in April, and naturally had made no representations in that respect. He questioned whether the action of the board in dealing with the Palmerston issue in camera, and in declining to hear City Council representations, was in accordance with the Act. That was a matter for further consideration and such action as was deemed advisable. A protest in similar strain was made also by Mr. Andrews (Mayor of Lower Hutt), who also said that there had been nothing to suggest the possibility of the exclusion or Palmerston.