TO ENCOURAGE AVIATION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 717, 17 July 1929, Page 10

TO ENCOURAGE AVIATION

PROVISION OF LANDING GROUNDS BILL BEFORE HOUSE (THE SUN’S Parliamentary Reporter J WELLINGTON, Tuesday. To assist local authorities in the provision and maintenance of landing-grounds in connection with the development of aviation in the Dominion, the Minister of Defence (the Hon. T. M. Wilford) has given notice to introduce the Local Authorities Empowering (Aviation Encouragement) Bill. Divided into two pai*ts, the Bill can be shorn to fit the wishes of local bodies as a whole, and as soon as it is printed will be sent out all over the Dominion for consideration by local bodies. The first part gives authority to local bodies of any kind to contribute toward the cost of landing-places, the contributions being based on the amount of unauthorised expenditure the body has at its disposal. The Bill enables a local body to contribute an amount equal to its statutory amount for unauthorised expenditure, which is, so to speak, doubled. Should it be desired to expend more than this amount, application may be made to the Local Government Loans Board. The second part of the Bill provides for those bodies which wish to go in for a big scheme of landinggrounds. Many,local bodies are desirous of building such grounds, but there is no legal authority for them to do so. They cannot legally incur the big cost involved. This portion of the Bill provides the machinery and authority for raising large sums, and the sanction of the ratepayers will not be necessary.

COMMERCIAL FLIGHTS

LANDING GROUND CHARGES (Special to THE SUN) WHANGAREI, Tuesday. A proposal -was made at the meeting of the Whangarei Borough Council last evening that a charge should be made for airmen using Kensington Park as a landing ground. Mr. L. J. Brake moved that a charge of 10 per cent, on their takings be made to aviators. While favouring a charge of 5 per cent., Mr. A. T. Brainsby said that in aviation the cost in depreciation and oil often amounted to between 40 and 50 per cent., which was much more than in any other sport. It would be wrong to tax promoters unduly. He suggested that a rental of so much a day should be imposed. Mr. Brake’s motion that the charge be 10 per cent., was lost, as was also one moved by Mr. Brainsby that the charge be 5 per cent. A suggestion by Mr. A. M. Rust that the question be left to the Parks Committee to report upon was adopted.