WELLINGTON NEWS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 September 1929, Page 2

WELLINGTON NEWS

AFRO CLUBS.

(Special Correspondent)

•■WELLINGTON, Sept. 19

Flying is the latest mode of quick transit and still is in its infancy, but that; is no reason why N.Z. should bo indifferent to this subject. Great

strides have been made since Blerict crossed the English Channel, .and the greater progress is inevitable during next decade. It .is. therefore somewhrtt pleasing to find that aero clubs are being formed in various parts of the-Dominion and are receiving the enthusiastic support of those interested.! j.n aeronautics. Flying is the prerogative of youth for it requires many bf those characteristics which one needs with age. Courage and cool confidence allied to presence of mind appear to be the main requisites for a successful pilot of an aeroplane, for howver mechanically perfect a machine may; appear to be there are occasions when a pilot has to call into play the qualifications mentioned above. But flying is becoming safer and safer each yeaj-, . and regular air transport seyyi,cfis are now the rule in many countries. In the United States increased attention is being given to

the manufacture of aircraft, but is to be hoped that N.Z. aero clubs will confine their attention, to British machines and so help to develop air trans-

port within the Efnpire. The progress

of; air' manufacture in the U.<S. owes much to the activities of the Government, which has established air mail services over wide areas. Some 37 air lines are being operated in the U.S. by private companies, over 63 different routes aggregating a distance of 20,800 miles. The total number of miles flown in 1928 whs 10,472.000 as cojppared with 6,303,150 miles for Geirpianv 4.666,307 miles for France ancj r; 1,135,000 miles for the United Kingdom. The public in the U.S.'.is avaifion, and tjie companies maupfaefr showing unsteadily, graving interest/ip 1 Tiring aircraft have a ' sufficiency T of work.. Not only - are they satisfy]rig tfie needs of the home market, but the export figure)*; for . the first • quarter of f 4929 would indicate -that they .are also turning their attention to--the foreign marked/ The : exports value of aeroplanes juring the' first three months of the current year totalled dollars (£220,700), being twice the amount of exports in cor-

responding period of 1928. Mexico was 1 the ''-largest' ; buyer, followed by CHili' and Argentina; Canada, too .'is a : igood customer for American m'ad n plsilnes, and for parts Canada headed the list- of buyers.

:,W. TRADE WITH THE Ei|ST. *.w>v .. ; ... \ .... Tor'the past twenty years N.Z. exports have dreame'd of trade with the East, but-so far has only bean'ctrea'nvi. Merchants" and exporters have shown ncj disposition to help themselves, non* of'that, grit and resourcefulness which lef(d ; to success. Always the Governmeht: has been petitioned to do som°tlfirfg in the matter at the public expense.' Still it would he wrong to Wltlt (! the East. . It has, but it is smaill ’and fluctuating. Our imports from the East are fairly steady, probably because our merchants find it easy to buy via Australia., and the difficulty in respect to exports is the absence of'adequate sea carriage. Australia has several lines trading ' with the East and does 'a fairly .steady import and export trade. If N.Z. was favoured with a shipping service with the East trade would expand, but it is acquiring this shipping service that isi-the difficulty. The Government could offer a subsidy aWd call for tenders ,but one must remember that the shipping lines are all controlled, and line?, must be- kept- .to their .zones and riSwinvade the territory of others for fear of reprisals. N.Z. is the special reserve of the U.S.S. Company, and Shipping Companies would no doubt Hite to extend their services to N.Z. but Lord Inchcape .wields a. bie attack and they have to stand off. The Union "Company will not develop the thfide-' with the East. It was rumoured in the city recently that a Japanese line now trading would extend-its operations to N.Z. and there was also some talk of a Dutch shippling line entering the trade. Before N.Z. can hope to do a reasonably profitable trade 1 with the East there must be ade quate and regular transport faciliies. Medan make certain of a good amount of forgo from the East but it is freight from- N.Z, outwards that .is needed. The Shipping problem must first be solved before there can be any. profitable trade. It must be kept, in mind tliat c 'the East is an expanding mark(it‘ because the East is becoming Mbsternised.