UP IN THE AIR!

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 2, 25 August 1944, Page 4

UP IN THE AIR!

WE have been amazed at the delicate texture of the skin of the Whakatane County Council on the subject of Aerodromes. We find its extremely hard to understand the chairman's attitude of righteous wrath when asked to merely discuss a project, which he and his council a few short months ago were prepared to carry out at Te Teko, and whether the Borough interests liked it or not, to pour out thousands of the martyred ratepayers money m the process. The sudden change in front both reads and looks very well when fashionably presented under the bogey of taxation with the council assuming the guise of protector. But what of the history of the latest move? Who represented that the time was ripe for interested organisations to get together for the purpose of establishing an

aerodrome to serve the district —not the Borough! Who urged that estimates of concrete runways be prepared for consideration —not the Borough! Who informed town delegates that whether other groups were interested or not they were determined to proceed with the establishment of an aerodrome at Te Teko —not the Borough! Who sud" denly lost all interest when the Aviation Authorities recommended sites nearer the town —not the Borough! Who after being party to the instigation of forming an Airport Board to carry out the original scheme refused when the time was ripe, even to discuss the possibilities of action — certainly not the Borough! The time will come when beyond all doubt this strange corkscrewing behaviour will bring upon it the highest condemnation of both town and country residents. To initiate a scheme and then in the next breath to repudiate it to such an extent that it is even uny willing to discuss the pros and cons, is scarcely cricket as we know it. The County Chairman has gone even further than that, he accuses those who urge the fulfillment of his council's first idea, of usurping the position of his own ratepayers, whilst in the next breath he admits the vast potentialities of aviation and offers the empty promise of assisting in all other respects except financial. What other respects can he hold out! The County has not even been asked to form or become a party to an Airport Board. It has merely been asked to confer on the subject. But so much does it now enjoy the halo of 'rate conservers" that it has the discourtesy to even refuse to discuss the suggestion with its erstwhile partner, and unhesitatingly _ snubs its very fair letter of invitation. The position to-day is that the Borough, struggling along with major problems such as water supply, sewerage and drainage, is yet still tarseeing enough to welcome the movement which will bring the benefits of aviation to our door; the County after leaving the Borough holding the baby as it were, is not now even prepared to warm the bottle. The criticisms levelled at the County were made with a full knowledge ol the facts which the councillors seem to have conveniently forgotten. We have to thank the chairman lor his remarks with regard to the part we have played, and though we never aspired to so high an order as 'the mouthpiece pi the County Ratepayers' yet we cannot restrain a _ certain feeling of pride at his confusing us with such official powers. We offered merely 'good old criticism' which we pride ourselves was constructive. We are not alarmed, nor are we in any way intimidated by his remarks, knowing that m all healthy communities, criticisms (as part from personnel references) are welcomed as part of our democratic m-er pretation.