FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1919
1919 - 1635.PDF
Flight, December 25, 1919 First Aero Weekly in the World Founder and Editor: STANLEY SPOONER A Journal devoted to the Interests, Praetiee, and Progress of Aerial Locomotion mad Transport OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE ROYAL AERO CLUB OF THE UNITED KINGDOM No. 574 (No. 52, Vol. XI.) DECEMBER 25, 1919 rWeekly. Price M. L Post Free, 7d. Flight The Aircietft Engineer and Airships Editorial Office: 36, GREAT QUEEN STREET, KINGSWAY, W.C. 2. Telegrams: Truditur, W«stcent, London. Telephone : Gerrard 1828. Annual Subscription Rates, Post Free : United Kingdom *Ss. id. Abroad 33;. od.m These rates are subject to any alteration found necessary under abnormal conditions •Eurapttn subscription* must bt remitted in British currency CONTENTS Editorial Comment PAGE The Air Estimates .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1637 Civil Aviation Abroad .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 163S What Others are Doing 16-5B What are Wt Doing? 1640 Aviation in the House of Lords .. 164 Flight—and the Men : Mr. John Kenworthy .. . 1639 The Paris Aero Show .. .. .. .. 1642 Some French Machines at the Show ,. 16(7 British Engines at the Show .. .. ..1651 Some Post-War Sopwith Machines .. .. .. .. .. ., 1655 Some Gosport Flying-Boats for 1920 .. .. .. .. .. 1656 Honours .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 1658 The Royal Aero Club Official Notices J65Q Airisms from the Four Winds .. .. .. .. .. .. 1660 In Parliament.. . .. .. .. .. .. ,. .. .. ,663 The Royal Air Force _ .. .. xf>(>t> Personals .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ,, ..1667 Model Aeroplanes .. . .. ., ,. .. I0g8 DIARY OP FORTHCOMING EVENTS. Club Secretaries and others desirous of announcing the date of important fixtures are invited to send particulars for inclusion in the following list: Dec. IS to... Jan. 4,1920. 1920 April 18 to May 2 June 1 ... July, 1920 Aug. 1 ... Sept. 1 ... Paris Aero Show. Seaplane Competition at Monaco Air Ministry Competition (Small Type Aero planes), Martlesham Heath S.B.A.C. International Aero Exhibition at Olympia Air Ministry Competition (Seaplanes) Felix stowe Air Ministry Competition (Large Type Aero planes), Martlesham Heath FORIAI* COMMENT HE Air Estimates, which were pre sented to the House of Commons last week, call for very little in the way of comment. As we have already recorded, they show a de crease for the year of nearly twelve and a-half millions, amounting to £54,930,850, against the original fore cast of £66,500. The saving has been effected by passing over_to the Ministry of Munitions the cost of liquidating all contracts placed by ^?e that Department, whereby a saving of Estimates I3i millions has been shown. This, while it correspondingly lightens the Air Estimates, is manifestly a paper saving only, since it represents a national liability which has to be met by the Ministry of Munitions. A saving has been effected by the reduction of the programme in respect of buildings and land amounting to 11 millions, and the Secretary of State in his memo randum says that " a further reduction of two millions has been effected in consequence of the programme of the Controller-General of Civil Avia tion and the Director-General of Supply and Research being still in process of development and not having fully matured. In addition, it has been found pos sible to meet the requirements of these departments from existing stocks to a greater extent than was originally anticipated." On the other hand, certain items show an increase of four millions over the forecast, and thus leave the Estimates, as has been said, over twelve millions to the good—on paper. The point that interests us most is that, so far as is discoverable from the Esti mates, the amount of money expended on the development of civil aviation is represented by the sum of £38,523 allotted to the salaries and pay of the personnel of the Department of Civil Aviation. It is true that other sums may have been expended under other Votes, but they are not shown, and the inference must, therefore, be drawn that the " encouragement " of this essential branch of avia tion is limited to the paltry sum named. This infer ence is further supported by the statement of the Secretary of State relative to the saving of a round two millions on this Department, and that of Supply and Research. If this is so, it is obvious that the want of policy to which we have so often referred has an even worse effect on development than we had thought. We trust that during the debates on the next Estimates the Government will be pressed for a definite statement of that policy ; of how much money is to be devoted to the encouragement of civil aviation during the ensuing financial year ; and of how and why it is to be allocated. The whole industry and all who have the future of commercial flight at heart are becoming gravely disquieted at the apparent want of interest manifested by the Government in a side of the movement which their
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
