Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1938. AERO CLUBS AND DEFENCE.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 May 1938, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1938. AERO CLUBS AND DEFENCE.

JN the course of his highly interesting and informative address, in Masterton a few days ago, on the efforts that are being made to build up as rapidly as possible an air defence force in New Zealand, Group-Captain the lion R. A. Cochrane, Chief of the Air Staff, observed that all aero clubs were now linked up with the defence of the country, that the aim was to try to build up a liaison between the service and the clubs, and more to a sinnlai effect. Yet when the president of the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club, Mr A. McDonald, pointed out that the greatest difficulty facing clubs today was the shortage ot pilot instructors and that the Wairarapa club meantime was without an instructor, Group-Captain Cochrane was only able to reply that the service was as short or instructors as were the clubs, but he was not in a position to suggest any practical solution at the present time.

Without finding any fault with Group-Captain Coehrane on that account, it is clear that the position disclosed calls urgently for solution, the more so since defence training will be hampered, as well as the clubs prejudiced, if the difficulty is not overcome.

The precise nature and extent of the problem of obtaining an adequate number of instructors no doubt must be considered and dealt with by experts. Obviously, however, the difficulty in which the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club finds itself of being unable meantime to secure even a temporary instructor is one with which no aero club in the Dominion should be left to battle unaided.

Official testimony is paid freely to the value of the aero clubs as a link in the system of national defence and no doubt the clubs might easily be made still more valuable from that standpoint as the air defence scheme is elaborated. The existing conditions could not be allowed to continue for very long, however, without breaking up the organisation of the clubs. The position seems to be serious enough to deserve the immediate attention of the Minister of Defence and the Government, with a view to some helpful action being taken.

If on account of the competition of commercial air services the present shortage, or dearth, of instructors is likely to continue, reasons may appear for importing qualified men from overseas until trained New Zealandeis are available to fill vacancies. In any case, clubs in a position of difficulty like that in which the Wairarapa club at present finds itself are entitled to all the consideration and assistance the Government can give them. CLASHING SHOW DATES. parties concerned should be very willing to assist in removing the grievance under which the Wairarapa P. and A. Association labours on account of what amounts in effect to a serious interference with the conduct of its old-established annual fixture. It is evidently desirable ithat the dates of all A. and P. shows in the Dominion should be co-ordinated as far as possible, so that stock breeders who desire to do so may follow a circuit m exhibiting at different shows. Even if perfect co-ordination on these lines be unattainable, the Royiil Show surely should not be held at a time when it will militate seriously against the success of any important district fixture. Taking broad account of the interests of farming industry in this country, the Royal Show ought to be complementary to other shows and should not compete with them. This year, however, unless the schedule of dates is amended, the Wairarapa P. and will be called upon to compete against the Royal Show. T.his is due to the Waikato A. and P. Association, to which this year’s Royal Show has been allotted, having recently abandoned its former November dates for others in which it clashes with the Wairarapa fixture.

With matters in this state, the P. and A. Association evidently has a substantial grievance and on broader grounds it may be claimed that under the policy meantime adopted poor regard is being paid to the general interests of farming industry, which demand that the most should be made of all shows as an aid and stimulus to progress. In normal circumstances a good many breeders exhibit at both the Royal and Wairarapa shows and it is altogether desirable that this procedure should continue. There should be no great difficulty in fixing such dates for the Royal Show that no district fixture will be prejudiced. In the" present instance, the position perhaps might have been met by the Waikato A. and P. Association reverting, for this year at least, to its former November dates.