1936-04-07 — Page 2

Page

HONG KONG DAILY PRESS

TUESDAY, APRIL 7, 1936.

STRONGER AIR FORCE

1

MEN, MACHINES, AND

LABOUR

Rapid Progress

Westminster, March 17. The desate in the House of Commons to-day gave invaluable evidence of the unprovocative de- termination of Parliament to have a literally tremendous Air Force.

Sir Philip Sassoon moved the Air Estimates with the persuasive- ness of experience and the charm of the sporisor of a Cinderella who had at last got her ball dress, Rc- cent events, he said, must have persuaded the most sceptical that the largest Estimates since the would War were overdue. They Eulse the Home Defence force to 1,750 first-line machines, and pro- duce an increase of strength far beyond what could be measured by mere numbers. At home and abroad the Arst-line strength would have been doubled in the two years ending next March

THREE PRINCIPLES This expansion was being goy- erned by three principles:-

{}) Fighting strength, fully manned, and adequate to deter aggression,

(2) Adequate reserves of men and machines.

(3) An efficient industry in the background,

He assured the House that, as things stood, the present pro- gramme tulalled

AVIATION

required

The personnel been increased from 22,500 tu 25.- Negotiations with Australia had, 000, and demands had met with a however, not yet succeeded. Inagnificent, response. Out of Meanwhile Imperial Airways had 2,500 new plots 1,700 had al- done more than their foreign ready been óbtained. Training · competitors for a much smaller schools-civil and military-had subsidy, and had proved the been greatly increased; and facili- soundness of the monopoly prin- ties for training ground staff had ciple in this matter. The Gov- also been extended. Eight hun- ernment were, however, prepared dred new reserve pilots would be to assist other organizations in enrolled in each of the next three directions which Would not be years: and employers were being competitive. Orders for machines asked to give holidays for train for the transatlantic route had Ing courses. Out of 500 new air, geen given, and an experimental stations 29 had already been ac- quired.

had route was now practically settled. AUSTRALIAN AIR FLYING CLUBS OF

FASTEST IN THE WORLD

As for machmes, a new type of fighter, capable of over 300 miles an hour and the fastest Service machine in the world, was being Into production. Two or put three new types of medium bom- bec were also on the verge of large-scale production. In short, the equipment of the Air Force would be unrivalled, thanks to our designers and workmen, whose re- putation Wis world-wide. They had brought out the new geodetic or open-work system of construc- tion, which was highly promising. take delivery In all, we should during the next three years of more machines than the total for the past 17 years; and our output

start would be made early next year at the latest. Private owners increased last year by 111 to a total of 589, and there were now 1,535 civil aircraft in the country. The light aeroplane clubs had 6.000 flying members, of nearly

had whom 3,353

taken out "A" licences: Inter-Departmental ar- rangements had been made to, co- ordinate the work of civil aviation in every branch, and the Commit- tee under Sir Henry Maybury would shortly report on how it could be further developed.

pa

A final explanation that the alm of the Government was still a Western Air Pact concluded eloquent appeal not to desecrate the great gift of fight by turning it to purposes of destruction."

This speech was most cordially

in 1935 was equal to that of the received. Mr. Montague opposed United States. The resulting in to it the conventional arguments crease in employment had been that pooled security was to be pre- striking-6,500 in the last three ferred

months.

There would be no profiteering, The departmental system of con- trolling prices had been streng- thened. It provided that, falling" an agreed price, the price should be settled after an examination of books. The system from its early days had been run by an expert committee, and it ought to secure premiums for economy and effi- elency in manufacture.

to national rearmament, and Mr. Mander, amid some sex- sible observations, included the fact that the Liberal Opposition

would vote for the At: programme,

MAIL SERVICES

The Controller of Civil Aviation

d

in Australia has announced that Essendon, Mascot and Archerfield aerodromes will be equipped with night lighting facilities before the end of June 1936. The equipme at !n Each case will consist of a rolating beacon mounted on tower, and boundary, and obstruc- tion lights. On December 16 a preliminary meeting of the sub- committee appointed by" the the Federal Cabinet considered proposals for improving the over- seus air mail service. The mem- of the committee are the bers Minister for Finance, Mr. Parkhill, the Attorney General. Mr. Menges. the Treasurer, Mr. Casey, and the

It Was Ar- Minister for Customs, Mr. White. After this meeting nounced that further meetings would be held by the committee and that a report would be sub- mitted to the Cabinet at its next meeting in Melbourne on Janu- ary 22. Press reports that the British "proposals are. generally speaking. favoured by the sub-committee and that the adoption

indicate

** the main provi- sions of the proposals will be re- commended. to the Cabinet.

After another good malden speech from Mr. Eckersley in sup- port of light aeroplane clubs. Sir Philip Sassoon announced that marriage allowances, as from the age of 21, would be paid to the Territorial or Auxiliary Air Force.

debate then degenerated into the academic on a motion by Mr. Potts that military and naval alr forces should be abolished. The House rejected this view, by 216 votes to 121.

GREAT BRITAIN

Greater Activity Recorded

The statistics which are already available show that activity dur- ing 1995 in the British flying plubs was greater than ever before and new records were made for hours flown, Alghts made, alrcraft used, and plots trained; from "every aspect, the club movement has shown an advance, There are 33 clubs receiving subsidies from the Government on the basis of pay- ments for

every pilot's licence taken out or renewed. The ngures available for 27 of them show an aggregate membership, of 7,738 against 7,490 "for all subsidized clubs. In 1934, and 4.800 in 1933 Active flying members number 4,271 compared with 4.175 and hours flown 39,098 compared with 35.235 for all subsidized clubs in 1934 The number of flights also shows an increase from 76.832 to 91.844. These 27 clubs employ 117 aircraft or 15 more than were re- quired for the work of all subsidiz- ed clubs in 1934. Pilots trained tr the stage of qualifying for the 'A' licence during the year were 559 compared with a figure of 506 for all the clubs in the previous year.

Taking the subsidized club now under review, the average club air- craft in 1935 flew 335 hours while certain clubs used their equipment very much more intensively, the highest being the Brooklands Flying Club. operating seven air- craft and which completed 4,525 nying hours. an average of 646 hours per aircrakt.

RESERVES ESSENTIAL The best maiden speech of this Parliament came from Mr. Rath- bone on the single point that re-

The these require

serves of men and of equipment ments. For example, the intake

were essential. Captain Guest re- direct into the reserve from civil

Inforced this plea by pointing out life was being expanded; and two

that only 10.000 people here knew great Arms, Messrs. Austin's and

how to my, whereas the compar- Messrs. Rootes, nad agreed to Civil aviation Was not being able figure in Germany was from build new factories for aircraft neglected. The South African 18,000 to 25,000. He suggested us- production. It would be possible Government had agreed to come ing the Auxillary Air Force as a to mobilize industry for war ut into the Empire

Transport training organization and giving issues of defence policy, during further details of industrial re- short notice.

Scheme. and the whole African tar more generous help to gliding, which Lord Swinton gave some

CIVIL FLYING

The House of Lords had a pro- upon the wider tracted debate

organization.

WARNING

In the warm weather the engine of your car becomes hotter and.. it is essential to use an uil that retains ite body. Such an oil is Wakefeld Patent Castrol which stands alone for quality as is proved by its outstanding achievements" ou the highway, the byway, the airway and the fairway.

Robertson, Wilson & Co., Ltd., are the local Agents for

Messrs. C. C. Wakefield & Co., and a message to them by telephone (21746) or chit will meet with prompt attention.

HONG KONG BENEVOLENT SOCIETY

از

All donations gratefully received by the

Hon. Treasurer Mrs. M. J. De Ville,

265, The Peak.

Old Clothes at

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Mondays & Thursdays.

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41

DUAL CARRIAGEWAYS

A grant to Manchester from the Road Fund or "the Manchester- Stockport by-pass was recently refused because the local authari- tles proposed to build it of only eighty feet width, whereas •1?? Ministry of Transport wanted it to be 120ft. wide and equipped with cycle tracks.

}

MOTOR JOTTINGS

FLOODS!

CARS NOT AMPHIBIOUS

Often Of Value

1.

MOTORISTS AND THE LAW

*. NEW DEVELOPMENTS AFFECTING LIABILITY

FOR DAMAGES

A noticeable feature of the in- numerable cases tried in the courts is the overwhelming pro-

The often-expressed poley the Ministry is 10, encourage the laying down of twin-track road:

Recent conditions in many parts with cycle tracks, and it is one

of Eng and have provided addi- which moterists support. The com- version of existing roads to dual tonal evidence of the all-embrace

ing usefulness of the modern car portion of claims for damages in carriageways, however, is not y

Whilst floods of a severity no respect of personal injuries. Cer- any means so easy as it appears. and the famous Great West Road. equalled for some time past have tain important developments of interfered seriously with the nor this branch of the law have re- London, provides, an example

mal lives of whole communities, cently taken place which have a the difficulties like y to be encoun-

cars have frequently proved their vital bearing upon the interests of tered-as WIE emphasised by

go-anywhere" qualties by carry- every road user, be he a pedestrian correspondent recently.

ing ther occupants dryshod over or a motorist.. toads and lanes hardly otherwise traversable except by boat.

The Great West Road has been converted to twin carriageways, but the central strip

measures Some feet across and it has redu-

ced the available wath by this amount. Despite the original great width of the road, the result a that both the carriageways seem to be too narrow in view of the volume of traffic the, road experi- ences. At present the road is not carrying nearly so much trame us will in the summer.. Unless something is done before then the road wil become very neavily con- gested. An upvious aid would he to provide cycle tracks as well.

The Autocar has supported twin- track road schemes from the first, but the "point is that, particularly

it

ing of his normal expectations of Life in consequence of his injuries. But a complication has arisen owing to the passing of a new measure; the Law Reform, Miscel- laneous Provisions Act, 1934. The object of this statute, in substance, is to place the personal repre- sentatives of a deceased person In the same position as the de- ceased himself with regard to the recovery of damages from the per- son whose negligence has caused the death.

The question that has now arisen is whether the personal re- presentatives are entitled to re-

cover damages for the shortening of the normal expectation of the life of the deceased,

By virtue of the Fatal Accidents Act. 1846, dependants of a deceas- True, there, are limits to the ed, person are enabled at the pre- As the law stands at present, depth of water a car may pass sent day to recover damages from personal representatives cannot through; but many an apparently the person whose negligence has claim this as an item of damage, fearsome stretch of Rood water been responsible for his death. though the decased had he surviv- that would deter the ordinary man

Such damages, however, are only ed would clearly have been en- or woman on foot can be taken ir. recoverable In respect of the ex- titled to do so.

of a car without serious thought if pectation

pecuniary benefit One curious consequence of this consequences. That which the dependants would have quling,, therefore, is that from a unpleasant has applied especially to motorists derived from the deceased had he monetary point of view an offend- whose houses have been lately sur- continued to live. But so elastic ing motorist is far better off it that even his unfortunate victim is killed rounded by water-as many have is the Common Law been in the Thames Valley, for age-old doctrines are able to be outright than if he is maimed and instance. The car has formed the modined. Thus, it has been re- survives for even so short a space much-needed "bridge" to dry land, cently held that a person injured of time as to enable him to in- an accident may recover stitute proceedings to recover besides, of course. further provid- in

damages in respect of the shorten- damages.

Ing transport to town or village be- yond, wheh, otherwise, such unfor

in the case of such a highway s tunately situated folk would virtu-

any one

may splash up and vision be sud- ply should be apparent as globules.

on the dipstick.

having been reached once again. make an immediate trial of the brakes.. Water may have entered the drums, resulting in a tempor ary

loss of braking efficiency to be

the Great West Road, thame is ally have been prisoners, generally nearly all travelling in It is a tendency on present-day denly restricted.

time. cars for ignition items, breathers, A possibility to he guarded Another warning: dry roads. one direction at Former y, over hair of this high- and carburetters-the components against is the entry of water into way was sometimes used by home most seriously vulnerable to water the engine sump: a striking in say, six attacks to be carried fairly high, stance of this actually having or

and, though some drivers may curred has come to our notice. If have found dificulties during these the water is deep enough to reach recent inundations, it is surprising the crankshaft level water may be serious consequences are how well a stretch of road fooded drawn into the engine by the ac foreseen should a driver not be almost to the level of the running tion of the oil-retaining worm em- aware of this possibility, which ployed on the front of the crank-also-apples, of course, in some board may be disposed of.

shait on some cars, and thus pass what similar measure to many cars down into the sump, to the very after they have been washed with probable detriment of the moving a high-pressure hose. An ambitious avold splashing water needlessly, parts should its presence not be Therefore, dry roads and either first or second gear is detected. probably best engaged to keep the having been regained, it is well to engine turning fast. It is no bad make a point of checking the l plan, also, to start the windscreen level An inflated level is strongly wiper worlding, for should speed to be suspected, while signs of

Ward-bound traffic, at. o'clock on Saturday evenings. To day, less than half the original width of the whole road is avall able. The moral is clear: where e road la converted to dual carriage ways. It should be quite certain that adequate width is provided. for each stream: Anyhow, cyclist, tracks are essential.

Incidentally, scheme has beca proposed for part of the Kingston by-pass,, involving service roads, cycle tracks and an increase of total width, with hedge down the centre strip to avoid dazzle at night.

4

LOW SPEED IS DESIRABLE A low speed is, of course, deair- able in these circumstances, a

be increased for any, reason, water water belag present in the oil sup-

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