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Aviation History
1918
1918 - 0779.PDF
JULY II, 1918. • will fly or not fly according to whether the thrust of thepropeller is greater or less thanN these forces taken in con- junction or one after the other !""This is perfectly clear, and should be learnt by heart by all who are interested. 25.2.18.—Found a piece of a rubber tyre in my sausagethis morning—which helps to prove that the motor Car is replacing the horse in every direction. 26.2.18.—Have lost several good civilian friends thisevening, as I washed my tunic in acetone 1 Am afraid they have not kept pace with modern develop-ments, as my technical explanations had no effect. 27.2.18.—The real meaning of an elusive answer wasdemonstrated to me. to-day. I was in charge of the guard, when a prisoner, under escort,was brought in and chaiged with being " drunk and dis- orderly." The Orderly Officer asked him how much he had to drink. " Only a couple of glasses, Sir."— " What! A couple ?" " " _:. ' " Well, Sir, a couple as I calls a couple ! " Undoubtedly a flying man's notion of " a couple " is very airy! ? 28.2.18.—A " first soloist " has marked the end of the month by landing a " Quirk" in the hangar. The mechanicsappreciate his kind endeavour to save them work, but the Flight Commander seemed a bit annoyed—jealousy, I expect,because it isn't every pilot who can smash four machines in oue landing. TEN YEARS AGO. Excerpts from the " Auto." (" FLIGHT'S " precursor and sisterJournal) of July, 1908. "FLIGHT" was founded at thelatter end of 1908. THE ZEPPELIN AIRSHIP. The Zeppelin airship succeeded in establishing an important record of a 12-hour flight on July 1st. THE BROTHERS WRIGHT. A contract has been entered into between the BrothersWright and a Committee, represented by M. Lazar Weiller, to the effect that the Wrights will receive a sum of 500,000francs on the condition that they execute a 50-kilom. flight in a closed circuit with a machine carrying two passengerson some day which is convenient to themselves, and follow this flight up with another on any day'indicated by the Com-mittee during the following eight. Should any other aviator succeed in making a similar performance during the followingfour months,-the contract is to be void. AVIATION IN PARLIAMENT. Aircraft Insurance (Government Scheme).MR. WATT in the House of Commons on July 3rd asked the President of the Board of Trade whether there is a surplus at the present moment of theAircraft Insurance Fund ; if so, how much it is ; and why claims on the fund by insurers are so contested by his Department; and are the ex-gratia allowancesUP to £5°° paid to persons who pay no premiums, kept in a separate account from the amounts paid to those who have duly paid their premiums ?Sir A. Stanley: It is not in the public interest at present to publish figures relating to the Government insurance scheme. The payments made under the.air-raid compensation scheme are paid out of a separate account. If the hon. member can furnish particulars of any cases in which he thinks claims under theinsurance scheme have been unreasonably contested I will have them investi- gated.The Supply of Flax (Flax Companies (Financial Assistance) BUI). ON the second reading of the Flax Companies (Financial Assistance) Billon July 3rd, The Financial Secretary to the War Office (Mr. Forster) : Owing to theenormous demand for flax for the War Office, Admiralty, and aeroplane require- ments, and the loss of the Russian and Belgian crops, which, of ^course, are nolonger available as the area from which we have obtained our supplies, it has become essential to make a very large development of flax production within theEmpire. Part of the effort we are making for earlier production is in Ireland. Arrangements have been made for a very considerable extension of flax-growingthere. The banks are willing to advance the necessary money under guarantee in part by the linen industry and in part by the War Office with the consent ofthe Treasury. Some difficulty has arisen owing to the fact that the companies who are willing to undertake the liability strictly have no power to do so underthe terms of their articles of association or instruments of incorporation. The object of this Bill is to give them the power which they do not at present possess.They could, of course, go to the Courts in the%rdinary way and get an amendment of their articles of association, but it was thought fair that as we have donein the case of the munition companies so we should do in the case of these com- panies—that is to say, give them power by Statute without imposing upon themthe obligation to go to the Courts. This Bill imposes no obligation upon anybody, but enables those willing to do so to come to the assistance of the country in theprovision of a very vital commodity. That is the object of the Bill, and I hope the House will give it a Second Reading.Mr. C. Roberts: Naturally we understand there are very importnt objects of national importance which this Bill seeks to carry out; but I should ratherlike to hear what guarantee the War Office is to give. I refer to the estimated amount. If it cannot be given now, perhaps it can at a later time. I am de- years. If agriculturists have the assurance that there will be a considerableincrease of home-grown linseed, and therefore of home manufacture of linseeil cake, it will make the Bill popular amongst the agricultural community. Mr. Forster: The guarantee for the scheme which is in contemplation is£600,000 guaranteed by the War Office, and £200,000 guaranteed by the linen industry. I think we may hope that no portion of the guarantee will be calledup, but it is contingent upon the success or the failure of the crop. It is essential that every effort should be made to promote this system of flax-growing. Inregard to the observations made by the hon. member for Pontefract and the hon. gentleman opposite (Mr. C. Roberts), there is perhaps some desirabilitythat the Bill should not be too widely drawn. I shall certainly consider that point between now and the Committee stage, and, if I can meet them, I shallbe very glad to do so. Mr. Watt: Will the right hon. gentleman tell us in what way that guaranteewill be called upon ? Will it take the form of taking shares in the undertaking, or in certain contingencies, if loss arises, will the country be called upon to meetthat loss ? Mr. Forster : The actual money will be advanced by the banks under guaranteeas to part of it, on the liability of the War Office, and as to the other part on the liability of the linen industry. In regard to the point made by my hon. friendbehind me (Sir C. Bathurst), certainly I hope that the supply of Unseed will be enlarged. All of us personally are concerned, and, as an agriculturist, I am justas much concerned as my hon. and gallant friend in regard to this matter. The object we have in view is the production of flax, largely for the purpose of aero-plane manufacture, and largely for those canvas requirements of the War Office. The Bill was read a second time, and committeed to a Committee of the WholeHouse. Gift of Aeroplanes to Chilian Government.SIR J. BUTCHER asked the Secretary of State under what circumstances a number of aeroplane*from this country to the Chilian Government, and whether the action of His Majesty's Government in furnishing these machines to Chile is not calculatedto arouse apprehension in other Latin-American Republics ? Lord R. Cecil: The facts referred to in the first part of my hon. friend's ques-tion may be easily stated. Our Admiralty were anxious to obtain a Chilian battle cruiser building in this country. The Chilian Government assented in themost courteous and obliging manner to the surrender of the vessel. But they pointed out that their action had the inevitable effect of disorganising their wholenaval programme and effecting an important reduction4n their naval strength. For this no payment based on the cost of the ship could afford full compensation,and they suggested that the gift by His Majesty's Government of a few aeroplanes, for Foreign Affairsare being supplied pendent upon the explanation which has been given by the hon. gentleman of in addition to the money price, would be gratefully received. We were glad tothe Bill, as I have studied it but briefly ; but it does seem to me that the Bill meet their wishes. I am sure that my hon. friend will is drafted in singularly wide terms. It suggests that practically any company,whatever its shareholders may say, may depart from its articles of association and do a number of things which the shareholders have not sanctioned. That maybe all right in the case of the individual companies to which reference has been made, but, as I say, the Bill is drafted in very wide terms, and it seems to me thatit may require some little study and some closer drafting with a view to pre- venting difficulties which conceivably may arise.Mr. Booth : I have studied the Bill somewhat, and I certainly think there should be a safeguard in it. It not only enables a company to go behind itsprospectus, but also outside Its memorandum. There are many people who have invested In a company and who rely upon its memorandum to limit it, say,to banking, or insurance, or cotton, or coal, as the case may be, and they would not have the least idea that the directors by a resolution at a meeting-couldembark to any extent they like upon an enterprise of the sort referred to. I should like to make the suggestion, which I hope the Government will not considerunreasonable, that those concerned should have to apply to some Government Department before they can act, say to the Board of Trade. As a matter of factmost companies can, by means of their board, exercise all the powers of the com- pany, but here yon are going to give them some reason to break all their conditionsand all their bonds in order to invest in flax. There should be some form or some check ; they should have the consent of the Board of Trade or the Home Office ;they should have to take some definite act, however moderate, whereby some agree with me that theopinion hinted at in the last part of the question has not any solid foundation. In the first place, the effect of the whole transaction, consisting as it does of thegain by Chile of a few aeroplanes, and the loss by Chile of a battle cruiser, can hardly cause alarm in any of Chile's neighbours. In the second place, I hope•and believe that public opinion among the great republics of South America has reached a stage which will make it utterly repugnant to them to settle dis-puted questions by a resort to war. Financial Assistance for Flax Companies.MR. LKIF JONES asked the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether, in view of his statement that the War Office, with the consentof the Treasury, are guaranteeing the bank against loss in connection with any advances they may make under the Flax Companies (Financial Assistance)Bill, it is intended to embody in the Bill the terms of the guarantee, and whether, as this guarantee imposes upon the people a contingent liability, it is intendedto pass a Financial Resolution in Committee of Ways and Means sanctioning this charge upon the people ?Mr. Forster: No, sir; the Bill in question refers only to the guarantee given by the companies and corporations. The liability undertaken by the Govern-ment will be covered by another Bill, which will be founded on a Resolution - passed in Committee of Ways and Means.Mr. Jones : Does my right hon. friend realise that the title of the Bill is mis- independent person casts his eye over the proposed transaction, and sucb> I leading, because it is to enable companies and other bodies to give financialthink, would avoid any possible trouble, ill view of this unlimited power. r' assistance to flax companies, and that there is no' Sir C. Bathurst: I also would like to press the right hon. gentleman theFinancial Secretary to give us some idea as to the extent of the guarantee for which, of course, this House is primarily responsible. I should also like to askhim whether this scheme contemplates growing flax alone in Ireland, which, of course, possesses a climate and certain facilities in the way of waterways whichare peculiarly suitable both for the growing and milling of flax, or whether it is proposed to have considerable areas of flax growing in England and Wales.In connection with this question I should also like to ask whether it is proposed that a portion, at any rate, of this flax is to be grown with a view to the provisionof linseed, which is one of the scarcest commodities in this country ? We require a very large area for carrying our stocks through the winter months. I ventureto hope that the right hon. gentleman has that in mind, because no doubt he is aware there is no matter upon which the farming community is to-day moreanxious than as to whether concentrated foods will be available for carrying the cattle and the sheep through the winter months, and in the succeeding thing to show that financialresponsibility for advances to the flax companies will rest upon the Exchequer ? Mr. Forster : It is a self-contained part of the scheme. The scheme is dividedinto two parts—-the part undertaken by the Government, and the part under- taken by the companies and corporations—and the contingent liability incurredby the Government will be dealt with in a separate Bill. Mr. Jones : May we rely upon it that this guarantee will not be made bindinguntil this House passes a Bill for the purpose founded on a Resolution in Com- mittee of Ways and Means ?Mr. Forster: It will be founded on a financial resolution in Committee of Ways and Means.Mr. Holt.: Am I to understand from the right hon. gentleman that the Vote of Credit will not be used for the Government guarantee ?Mr. Forster: The actual moneys that are payable will probably come out of the Exchequer, but the authority of this House will be given to the transaction bymeans of a Bill founded on a financial resolution. ... . ?777
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