CRICKET. WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 21 May 1923, Page 1

CRICKET.

WELLINGTON NOTES

A PIONEER IN AVIATION. PRECEPT AND PRACTICE. [Special To Tiie Guardian.] WELLINGTON, -May IS. The local papers refer editorially to the acquisition of the Koekburn Aerodrome by the Government with scarceI ly more than a pa-sing mention of the big-hearted patriot who has done immeasurably more than anyone else to awaken Air .Massey and his colleagues to the urgent need for developing national defence in this direction. “An announcement that the Government intends to acquire .the Socklntrn aerodrome,” says the “Dominion,” the least forgetful of them, “no doubt implies among other things a recognition that the promotion of civil aviation in the Dominion is impracticable for the time being. With Afr H. F. Wigram as its pricipal .shareholder, the Canterbury Aviation Company has done excellent national service, notably ill training pilots during the war period. Evidently, however, the operations of the company cannot ho continued on a commercial basis. Air Wigiam’s generosity has -Amplified the conversion of the Rockbiirii aerodrome into a State establishment. It will now devolve upon the Government to provide for at least a gradual development of aviation in the interests of national defence.” The reader might assume from this, incomplete statement of the facts Dial Mr Wigram and his fellow shareholders had merely cut their losisos and handed the establishment over to the

Government. LOOKING AHEAD. This would he very short of the whole story. Several years before the great war. in which necessity again showed itself the mother of invention and Die stimulant towards achievement, Air Wigram from his .seal in the Legislative Council urged the Government again and again to make provision for the protection of the Dominion from the air forces the possible enemies of the Empire even then, as everyone now knows, were building up. The* Government turned a deaf ear to his entreaties and when the war came the British navy, bv a merciful dispensation of Providence, retained command of the -ca and so prevented hostile cruisers reaching New Zealand. Hut, Air Wigram, undismayed by his first rehalf, continued to preach the gospel of aerial defence mi every possible opportunity, and before the war was many months old induced a number of his personal friends to join him ill establishing the Koekburn aerodrome where just upon 200 pilots were trained for active service. This probably was his greatest contribution to the needs of the country at that time, and his associates in the undertaking have been loudest in proclaiming his' pre-eminent service : hut he has been allowed to leave the country without any adequate ofiicial acicno" lodgment ot his boundless generositv and splendid patriotism. ' ' DAIRY POOL. The Dairy Rill introduced during the closing session of last Parliament is one of the measures the Government has ready for presentation to the House directly il meets next month. The purpose of the Rill is to provide the dairy farmers with the same tneililios

:is tlu.' men t producers already possess for taking a liaml in the marketing of their own produce. 11merits and its demoriis verc dDcus.-sed at some lengDi when it lasi wa> liotore members anti thev seemed so evenly balanced that the Oovormnent very wisely determined to delay (he I art her progress of the measure till a more convenient season. One reason for ihe -'miny wa-s that tlie people immediately concerned had lint had siiirieient time to clisettss the provisions of the Kill and another was that th.e praetieal results of the ‘ .Meat Pool” should lie awaited before a "Dairy Pool" was launched upon a somewhat sceptical community. ITtlortmiately the aeeounts of the bttard controlling the "Meat Pool” will not: be available till the end ot 'lnly and consequently the House will not he fullv acquainted with the results obtained from this first experiment in compulsory co-operation betore it is asked in consider smother. iM'inors iMtom’CKJts. .Meanwhile there is a growing feeling among the dairy farmers that they arc being asked to take a leap in the dark which may land them info a number of new troubles without materially lessening their present ones. The promoters of the so hemo. wno appear to have hail the ready ear of the (invermneiif, are seeking to get rid of the intermediaries here and in l/tntloii. and to bring the producers into direct contact with flic consumers. The liritish importers, wholesalers and distributors, they say. mv superfluities, all drawing their toll from the producers and so reducing their returns, lint Denmark ami Canada, the pioneers of the dairy produce trade with Knglaml, finished with this kind of talk years ago and are now well content to take advantage ot the methods of marketing which have built up an enormous trade with the best possible results-to the producers. All those points, of course, are open to discussion and it has been suggested that during his impending visit to the Old Country, Mr .Massey might seek the assistance of reliable authorities in making a thorough investigation of the facts. Such time as the Prime Minister can spare front the Imperial (’on-

ferenee might be less profitably cm-, ployed.