THE HAREWOOD AIRPORT

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 22 September 1938, Page 7

THE HAREWOOD AIRPORT

TO THR EDITOR OF THE PRESS, Sir, —There are a few facts about the hours and the vjork being done at present on the Harewood airport which may be of interest to the ratepayer. The men arrive at 8 a.m., start at 8.15. At 10 they have a very much-needed rest of 15 minutes: They have about 45 minutes for liinch, cease at 3.20 p.m. and then line up for as perfect a start as Mr Hastings could wish. The “work" itself is done by moderii machinery consisting of wheelbarrows, shovels, rakes, an antiquated motorlorry, and an obsolete steam-roller capable of travelling at 200 yards an hour.. One hundred and sixty acres are now being raked by hand, each man doing about 40 square yards a day. ■ The hangar sites were levelled by hand at an enormous cost, also a useless corner of gorse was cleared at a cost of about £l5O an acre. The value of the ground is £4 an acre. The Hon. B. Semple , would find it impossible to take a moving picture oi the men, as theV all appear to have developed the shovel-handle complex. * The ratepayers will one day have an airport but they are going to pay through the nose to get it. The Hon. R. Semple says that the people should know how and why their money is being spent. I think they should also know how, it is being wasted.—Yours, etc.,„ : ■■ OBSERVER.

September 19, 1938. [Mr V Galbraith, engineer to the Christchurch City. .Council, .which is

forming the airport, said yesterday when he saw this letter that it was much exaggerated.]