AERO CLUB GRANT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 June 1939, Page 5

AERO CLUB GRANT

DISCUSSION BY TRUSTEES SOME OPPOSITION EXPRESSED TALK OF BLIND PROMISES. AMOUNT OF £lO VOTED. Some opposition was appar-. ent at last night’s meeting of the Trust Lands Trust to a proposal to make a grant to the Wairarapa and Ruahine Aero Club. After an animated discussion it was agreed to make a grant -of £lO. "I really think we have been making blind promises to the Aero Club," said Mr H. P. Hugo, chairman of the Trust. "I think we should tell Them that we are not in a position to make a grant of more than £lO or £l5, which would be not much good to them." “I don’t think it is in our province to make a grant for that type of thing," observed Mr. A. O. Jones. Tt is a commercial undertaking and is out to ex ploit the air, though no doubt it is doing a lot of good in a way.” Mr. Jones said he had noticed that aero clubs in the Dominion up to 1937 had received £21,000 from Governments the past and in 1938 they had received £29,000. They also were able to purchase aeroplanes, without paying interest for two or three years and he un, derstood that pupils trained were subsidised or paid for by the Government. As far as the individual was concerned, to go for flights in an aeroplane as a means of sport was prohibitive, except to those of. means. The average person could not do it. If they had come to such a position ithat they had to get the public air-minded it was the Government’s place to do that. If a grant were made to the Aero Club, the Territorials, said Mr. Jones, would be equally entitled to a grant. “I do not think-it is within our province to make a grant to an aero club,’’ he reiterated. "There are so many other things more in keeping and more along the lines of our policy that the Trust should assist.”

“I should like to suggest,” said Mr. H. H. Daniell, "that the sum of £25 be donated from the Trust for a scholarship for training one trainee coming from the Masterton Small Farm Area. I think that £25 would be well spent.” Mr. Daniell added that twice in the last six or eight months the world had been on the verge of war and a number of boys had gone from Masterton to join the Royal Air Force. He maintained that it was right that they should assist the Government and that it was quite within the Trust’s province to assist a boy to learn flying, on the same lines as had been done by one of the Master - ton newspapers some time ago. There was no seconder for Mr. Daniell’s motion.

Mr. C. E. Grey: “In the first place I understand the aerodrome is not within the Small Farm area. That should wipe it out straight away. I don’t think we should grant 'this when there are so so many other things of some importance to the town, such as education, the Plunket Society and the Y.M.C.A.” “None of them would be worth a hang if we were bombed.” said Mr. Daniell.

Mr. Jones said that in regard to the scholarship proposal, he understood that if any youth wanted to learn to fly the Government would pay for the training. Mr. H. P. Hugo: “That is so.”

Mr. J. Macfarlane Laing: “They pick the best out and send them Home for further training.” “The same matter has been brought up time after time,” said Mr E. G. Eton. “We asked the club for a balance sheet and have led them to believe we would give them some assistance.” ' “No,” said Mr. Jones. “You may have, but we have not.” • Mr. Laing: “We said we might.” Mr. Eton: “It was moved that another application be made. We are justified in coming to some final decision.” Stating’ that the Trust had helped other good causes, such as the Boy Scouts, he said the Trustees should be consistent, and he moved that £lO be granted to the Aero Club without restriction. “We’ have misled them,” he added. “Why not be candid before this?” The motion was seconded by Mr. Daniell. Mr Hugo: “I do feel that we have not exactly misled, but that we fooled them. If we were going to turn them down we should have told them before.” Mr. Grey asked the secretary if any grants in the past had been made*'to a body outside the Small Farm Area. Mr. Eton: “Might I ask where the registered office is?” Mr. Hugo: “In Queen Street.” The motion was carried by five votes to four.