COST OF AERO CLUBS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 652, 2 May 1929, Page 9

COST OF AERO CLUBS

SUPPORT BY GOVERNMENT POLICY ANNOUNCED SOON Press Association WELLINGTON, Wednesday. A preliminary announcement with respect to the Government’s aviation policy was made by the Minister of -Defence, the Hon. T. M. Wilford. tociay. in answering an inquiry as to wliat was the attitude of the Governinent toward the aero clubs of New Zealand, the Minister said: “When the policy of the Government is settled it will be announced by the Prime Minister, but before it is announced it will be my duty to see how many clubs are essential and what are their requirements. It is useless for any set of enthusiasts to start out to run an aero club unless they can see a certain £3,000 a year in hand for the running - of the club. No club can be run under that figure; that is after it has the ground, the hangars and the machines.” The Minister added that since his assumption of the portfolio of defence he had given a series of lecturettes on aviation at various places from Auckland to the Bluff. “To every body of men interested I have approached,” Mr. Wilford said, “I have submitted a question for their earnest and considered thought. It is this: “ ‘lf war were declared to-morrow our cruisers would go to the Near East naval base and be under the one naval command. Our defence would consist of guns in fixed positions and land forces. If one armed merchantman belonging to the enemy arrived 150 miles off this coast with a mother ship carrying 10 or 12 airplanes, equipped with gas and bombs for the destruction of our cities, wliat is our defence?’ ”