AVIATION LEAGUE.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1793, 4 July 1913, Page 11

AVIATION LEAGUE.

. PROSPECTIVE DEVELOPMENTS. . STATE SUPPORT SOUGHT. i .A deputation representing tlie branch of the . Imperial Air League which has been formed in Wellington waited yesterday upon the Hon. James Allen (Minister for Defence), with a view to enlisting the moral support of the Government in ite endeavours to arouse popular interest in aviation. The deputation was- introduced by Dr. A. K. Newman, M.P., and one of its members was the Mayor (Mr. J. I'. Luke). It was explained that'the league had been formed with the object of educating tlie public on the subject of aviation and fostering the sport of aviation in New Zealand. In time, perhaps, financial assistance would be rendered by the league and prizes offered to inventors. It was mentioned, that Mr. D. P. Fisher, a member of the deputation, had' built a monoplane which liad been • successfully flown a dozen times or more. ..The Minister, in replying, mentioned that when in England he paid a special visit to Hendon, the aviation park conducted by Mr. Graham White, and came into touch there with several aviators, including Mr. White himself. With some of them he was in communication still. Afterwards, the Minister stated, he went twice to Farnborough, the military aviation park, and saw every part of it, including those parts which were absolutely confidential; A great deal was being done in England for the advancement of , aviation, though not so much perhaps as in Germany and France. Still a great deal was going on. The New Zealand Government.would probably do nothing in connection with aviation until they were ad■vtised of the dispatch, of the monoplane which was coming, out from England, lie would ascertain what expert knowledge .there was in New Zealand with re-gard-to '.running .the machine, and if there was sufficient export knowledge hers, to justify him putting the machine in charge of the person having that knowledge, it would, save getting an expert out froiu Home. He was advised from England, however, that rery great risk would attach' to the use of tho machine unless it was in charge of 'a fully-qualified expert. ... He understood that the deputation represented what was practically a branch of the British Aerial League, and that their idea was not to advertise any particular .'.kind of machine, but to study tho subject from a national standpoint. (Hear, hear.) He took it that they wished to encourage aviation as a national sport, and more than .that, as a means of national defence, if that means of national defence should ever be required. He sympathised with .them entirely—he was npt promising, them any monetary assistance, because they were not asking for it just now, at anyrate— but anything that the Government oould do it "would do. He wished, as Minister, to encourage them in what they were doing. It was not yet definitely known, what type of aeroplane would be most serviceable in New Zealand. Hydro-planes wero coming to the front; unfortunately, he had not seen any machines of this type when at, Home, but in a country like this, where th?re was much hilly country, the hydro-plane might be of more nse. than the monoplane or the biplane. There was a very good field: for experimental work in the use of hydro-planes.' He would' inform Cabinet that he had seen the deputation, and no doubt Cab-> inet would sympathise with their objects, as he did. -Finally, the Minister express-, ed a hope that the association would extend to other parts of the country. Dr. Newman-said that it would be a New Zealand affair.