DOMINION ITEMS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 June 1925, Page 1

DOMINION ITEMS.

BY TELEGRAPH —PIIES3 ASSN., COPYRIGHT, TIIK AEROPLANE. USE IN ARCTIC’ COUNTRIES. AUCKf.AXn, June 22. Of special interest in view of Captain Amundsen's recent polar experience wore some observations on tho use of - aeroplanes in ice and snowdad country made by .Mr F. Sidney

Cotton, a young Australian, who is a through passenger by the Aorangi to Sydney. For the past four years Mr Cotton lias been at the head of a commercial company which ran aeroplane services in Newfoundland and in Labrador. He saw great prospects for the commercial utility of the aeroplane in countries where transport was prolonged and arduous during the winter months, and floated a company in Newfoundland in 1920. The pioneers in living in ice country learned much through hard experience during the lirst twelve months and at the cud .of that time had perfected their machines so that they could withstand any kind of Arctic conditions. "Hie problem was solved when we lound a way to keep the engines warm and had equipped the machines with Special skids.” .Mr Colton stated there were eight machines in use. and they easily withstood the rigours of the l.ahitrdnr inter. On occasions living wtts dime in a temperatlire of loriy degrees below zero, and there were no mishaps. Tho aeroplanes were put to many interesting uses. Titov also earned mails anil provision-, to lonely outposts ill Labrador.

Mr Cotton believes that with profierly equipped machines it is easier to (lv in ice and snow country. There are so many more landing places, he said, lie believes that explorers will nut have- the slightest difficulty in reaching the North Role with machines such as were used in Labrador. During the lour years’ operations in Newfoundland and Labrador there was not one serious mishap.

DIR FICTION FINDER. AORANGI CHUCKS KRROR. AUCKLAND, June 22. The Aorangi, which arrived at Auckland from Vancouver yesterday, anchored in Hanraki Gulf for over two hours to check an error in her wireless direction finding compass. The vessel anchored at about nunii in a position, midway between Tiri Island and Rangitoto beacon. Her launch, which is lilted with wireless, was then lowered into the water and was sent away about a. mile and a hall'. Keeping that distance, the launch circled slowly round the Aorangi and reciprocal hearings were then Liken. The correct hearings ol the launch on each point of the compass were noted hv the master and oflicers ,11 the Aorangi’s bridge, and at the same time tile licit rings ol (lie wireless signals It'otn the launch acre tinted hv the Aorangi’x operators by moans of t],,. wireless compass. The angle between the correct bridge compass hearing and the wireless bearing showed the margin of error.

Mariners’ ordinary compasses art tested in a somewhat similar manner, hut the vessel j s generally swung round on a pivot and llte hearings ol a distant object are cheeked oil every poiiti of the compass. With an ordinary ship's compass, the errors are caused either by magnetism in the iron included in the vessel’s structure or by the earth's magnetism. These errors can he counteracted lo a large extent

b.v |>!;ic• i!il; permanent magnets non I 111' Compass. Ilia Cl'lor u| jilt' wiiv h'.-S compass IS mil ('.-lllscfl lIV llVIgllefl»"i by wireless «nvi's being reD'aclrd hy ill: 1 metal I-iull oi the vessel I hose errors iii' ill,- wireless rompas;

isuinui l;r ad iti'idl. Inn ulicn llii'y mi' known thin- can !»■ allowed lor when •be wireless compass is being used fur lirei'lion finding purposes.

I Amro RATI OX. AVSTRA 1.l A'S POLICY. AECKI.A.M), .1 line 22. The Austr;ili;in Cnvornmom’s new immigration policy, which is to he worked in conjunction with tlit* llritisli Oovernmenl, nils discussed to-day by Air Percy Hunter, Director of tlieComiiiomvealtli immigration police both in Australia and in the I’nitod Kingdom, lie is a through passenger to Sydney hy the Aoraugi. .Mr limiter said the new nrarngoinent pruvided that the British (lovornment was to contribute ahoiiL C7,00ll,(l(!() to help to pav interest charges rm a development loan of about l’.'V 1.(100,000. The (‘ommonwealth (iovernicent was to supplement the interest eosts so that I lie loan would be left witli the States at a verv low rate

oi interest. It amounted to something like 1 per cent, for the lirst five years and one-third oi the actual interest charges for the next five years. The Commonwealth fioveriimeiit lias undertaken to settle IdO,OHO people ill ten years. The arrangements stipulate that a proportion of this number must he families, '*■ Australia lias unlimited room for immigrants.'' said -Mr Hunter, "and I do not anticipate any trouble in settling them. The idea was that de-

velopnietii .schemes, whatever they might be, should be opened up by Australians and then immigrants would oomo in to help to keep them going. T hey would he absorbed in various occupations and Ibe scheme did not prowide that the new settlers should ho given tarm.s.” EMPIRE PRESS UNION. DUNEDIN, Juno 22. The secretary of the .Empire Press Union has cabled front' London to say that the Arrangements Committee has bad under consideration the alternative itineraries submitted to it fc.r the New Zealand visit of the delegates to tho Australian conference. Otto ot these itineraries provided for a visit to both the North and South Islands, but as only ]1 days could be allowed the whole Dominion, the committee in England has very reluctantly conte to tile conclusion that Ihe visit must be confined to the North Island. There was a division > t opinion among the members of the committee of the New Zealand Rranch ol the 1 nion as to the feasibility of a visit to the South Island in the short time available, and the matter was relerred to the Council of the Union m England for its decision.

THE LICENSING QUESTION. AUCKLAND, June 22. Replying jo “Questions for tho -M.P.” by the New Zealand Alliance. Mr .M. .1. Savage, voicing the attitude ol the Auckland members of the Labour Party, said that he wtts pledged to Hie aims and principles of the New Zealand Labour Party, and wits not going to pledge himself to anything else, The parly believed the icople should he allowed lo decide naiional questions themselves. Its constitution provided for any question icing decided by tt referendum if 10

per cent, of the people petitioned RaiJinmeut to that end. That was the attitude lie took in regard to the issues placed before him. CANDIDATf: FOR GrSBORXK. GTS HORN K, J uno 2‘2. Mr .1. It. Kirk, solicitor, has announced himself as a Candida to for the Gisborne seat, as a. supporter of fusion. WELLINGTON’S POPULATION. WELLINGTON, June 23. The Wellington City Council's committee on housing Inis reported that, ovor 10 per cent of tho population is overcrowded. Then' are (>29 ono-room-od dwellings, occupied by 1222 people. In a lew eases as many as five to nine

per-mis live in the same loom. The committee estimated that the Council could build a house for CBOO, and, i l ' the land cost £101). it could with ail charges, be sold at a price winch 2s- a week would cover. The Conned discussed the report, one member pointing that the land could not be obtained for CIOO. Pending information as in whether llte Government would advance Cl 110,0'Itl, the report was merely received. Mi Milch.ll. an ex-councillor, and Mr Watt, who had been experimenting in standardised houses, announce that a five-roomed cottage of concrete can ir Inifit lor *2l itII), and an extra room lor ITOO. provided that they are all of one design and all allowing VIGO for the land. Ihe purchase money could ho paid off in dtp tears at Cl Os fid a week for.ag-fotir-mumod house, and Cl As (Id for a live-rootned otte.