WEB OF COMMUNICATIONS PROPOSED.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 January 1930, Page 6

WEB OF COMMUNICATIONS PROPOSED.

RUGBY, January 10. The Air Minister, Lord Thomson, who last year had discussion in London with M. Laurent Enyac, French Air iMnister, upon methods of AngloFrench co-operation in aviation, last night made reference to. this subject in a speech to the British Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

Lord Thomson said that he and M. Eynac had together examined the air situation in Africa, Arabia, and jffi e Far East, and everywhere had found that their activities could be profitably combined. In aviation it was always necessary to look five years ahead, and in examing the future they had between them a plan of a web of air 'communications covering more than half the surface of the globe, whose civilising influence could only .serve to stimulate the growth of FrancoBritish trade. An outstanding feature of western civilisation had been and would be the development of means of transportation, and in that development Britain and France were bound to play leading parts. Commenting on the speech, the “Morning Post” remarks that a close '•grr transport agreement between France and Britain would be of immense value because it would constitute a step towards the abolition of national frontiers, which are at present the most serious obstacle to free air intercourse.

PICTURE COMBINE

BRITISH AND AMERICAN FIRMS. ENGLISH PRODUCTION.. RUGBY, January 10. By an agreement which has been signed between one of the leading English companies engaged in the production of talking pictures and the Radio Keith Orpheum Corporation of America, the two concerns will he jointly responsible for a series of British talking pictures to be produced in this country and distributed throughout America and the world generally Each company will bear half the cost of every production and share equally in the profits. The pictures will be known as Associated Radio Pictures and will have a guaranteed release throughout the world.

Mr Basil Dean chairman of the English company, Associated Talking Pictures, Limited, said yesterday that in accordance with this agreement the pictures would be by British authors and would be made in England by British artists with assistance from time to time, if jointly see fit, of Americans.

SLUM CLEARANCE. BILL TO B;E INTRODUED. RUGBY, January 10. 'Fhe now Slum Clearance Bill, which wi.ll he introduced .into- Parliament after the recess by Mr Arthur Greenwood, Minister of Health, will it is believed, stimulate the process of improving the meaner parts of the leading cities. Already large schemes arc in hand in London. A programme has been drawn up for the clearance of over 200 acres of slums, involving the re-hous-ing of over 00,000 people at an approximate cost of about £9,000.000.

.POLITICAL APPOINTMENT. RUGBY, January 10. The Colonial Secretary, Lord 'Passfield, has appointed Dr Drummond Shiels, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Colonies, to succeed Mr William Lunn as chairman of the Advisory Council of Agriculture, and of the Colonial Medical Research Committee.