YEAR IN RETROSPECT

Waikato Times, Volume 123, Issue 20693, 31 December 1938, Page 11

YEAR IN RETROSPECT

IMPORTANCE TO DOMINION FAR-REACHINQ LEGISLATION PROGRESS IN AIR TRAVEL In many respects the year just concluded may be counted as one of the most momentous in New Zealand s history, and will be remembered as a period embracing many events of great political and international importance. Never before has the Dominion been brought so prominently before the eyes of the world by virtue of Its legislation, the achievements in flying and the successes in sports. Perhaps the most important event during the ySBT was the return to power of the Labour Government at the general elections on October 15. The contest gave the people an opportunity of judging the work carried out by Labour during its first term, and with only two parties in the field the election was keenly fought. Of all the legislation brought forward by the Labour Government perhaps the most far-reaching was the Social Security Bill, which was designed to provide medical and superannuation benefits to all classes of the community. The proposals were introduced by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, on April 3, and after a long debate the Bill was passed by Parliament on September 9. It will become operative on April i, 1939. Education Amendment Bill Involving sweeping changes in the education system, the Education Amendment Bill was announced by the Government on March 15, and after circulation among the educational authorities Is was deferred until next year. Empowering the Government to establish State steelworks in the Dominion, the Steelworks Bill, which was passed on March 12. was another important feature of the year's work in Parliament. In the field of air travel the Dominion witnessed many changes and a great deal of progress. New Zealand aviators again figured prominently and showed that the Dominion could hold its own in this form of transport. The last stage of an historical flight was reached on January 10, when the English flying boat Gentaurus lefi Auckland on it'' return trip to tin 1 Mother Country. Considerable inlere-t in the development of flying boats had been aroused by the visit of the Samoan Clipper, which made a survey flight from the United States of America with a view to opening a trans-Paclflc air route.

Tragedy struck the project, however, when the Clipper, laden with mails, crashed into the sea near Pago Pago on January 12. The commander, Captain E. C. Musick, and his crew lost their lives in the crash. Another New Zealand pilot to figure prominently in the aviation world was Flying-Officer A. E. Clouston, who landed at Blenheim on March 20 after a record flight from England. The pilot’s stay i:i New Zealand was only brief, for on the day following his arrival he took off again and turned the nose of his ’plane towards Australia. A severe loss was suffered by Union Airways on May iO, when their Lockheed passenger ’plane Kotare crashed near Auckland and burst into flames, killing tin* two pilots. Messrs C. M. Dkithle and "W. J. Peel. Trans-Tasman Air Service TTie possibility of the establishment of a trans-Tasman air service amused much interest in the Dominion during the year, Auckland .and Wellington both eagerly seeking establishment of

a terminal In their harbours. On August 30 an adverse report on the suitability of Wellington was received. Earlier in the same month history was made when the first air mail from New Zealand to England was despatched, and on August 15 the first air mail under the Empire service from England to New Zealand arrived in Wellington. Perhaps the most Important development In the flying world as fir as the Waikato is concerned was the gaining of Government recognition by the Waikato Aero Club on October 3. One’of the advantages gained by the club as a result of the successful conclusion to the negotiations is the ability to train pilots for lhe civil Reserve and to receive a subsidy for the purpose. During the year huge sums were spent on public works and further big allocations are provided for in the present Budget. Great strides have been made with the main highways and bridges and in the elimination of dangerous railway crossings. In June Cabinet approved the scheme for the construction of a new* tunnel through the Rimutaka Hill at a cost of £1,000,000. The Public Works Estimates. which were presented by the.

Hon. R. Semple on July 26. showed an expenditure of £11.675.000. A surplus of £800.600 was shown in the Budget on April 30, and later in the year the Hon. D. G. Sullivan. Minister of Railways, disclosed a record gross revenue of £8.634.186 in the New Zealand Railways Statement for the year ended March 31, 1938. Kopuawhara Disaster On February 19 the Dominion was shocked by the news of a disaster at Kopuawhara. where 20 men and one woman lost their lives when a public works camp was overwhelmed in a cloudburst. In the following month six passengers were killed and 25 were injured when a Wellington-New Plymouth excursion train <.f six carriages left the line while negotiating a down grade near Ratana. in Taranaki. A few days later a head-on collision between two trains at Aylesbury South Island) resulted in the death of a fireman. A third disaster was avoided on dune 3 by the timely discovery of a boulder on the railway line near Kaikohe. Through the collapse oj' a bridge about 13 miles north of Taihape on November 19 four members of the Royal New Zealand Artillery lost their lives. The men were returning to a military camp at Waioruru after spending their afternoon leave at Taihape. In January a strike in the Christchurch meatworks took place, and n November 2 1500 men became Idle owing to a dispute at the Otahuhu Railway Workshops. In addition, it the same time as the railway strike the men ceased work on the Aucklanl waterfront and remained idle for nearly two weeks. During last summer an epidemic of facial eczema in sheep caused serious

stock losses In several parts of New Zealand. The Waikato was more furiously affected than any other district, thousands of sheep being lost each week. The Dominion came into prominence In tin* sporting world in February when V P. Boot r Christchurch) and C. H. Matthews (Christchurch) acquitted ihemselves creditably in the British Empire Games In Sydney. Matthews won the three-mile and sixmile races jn record times, and 800 l had similar success in the 880 yards event.