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Aviation History
1920
1920 - 0688.PDF
on which the British Empire has built up any of its great industries, and its result may be compared with the artificial and weakly growth produced by a hothouse as contrasted with the strong growth due to normal conditions. The only sound basis of any industry primarily designed to meet the needs of commerce is that it shall be self-supporting and forced to maintain itself in a profitable condition by good and economical organisation and administration. A Government grant inevitably tends to weaken this stimulus. The Committee limit the payment of subsidies to a period of two years. This two years is a time when it is universally admitted that stringent economy by Government is necessary. But is it conceivable that any Government, once the sub- sidies have been granted, will be able to withdraw them, especially when the money situation will probably be less difficult ? If this is so, we shall be committed indefinitely to a policy which is admittedly unsound. If it is contended that Civil Aviation must be helped in order to provide a reserve for Imperial Defence, then my opinion is that no urgency at the present moment exists in view of the paramount necessity for stringent national economy. I submit that in the interests of economy the wisest policy is to build up Service Aviation for the present on what may be termed a policing basis, and to add at a later date what is necessary towards giving us the necessary powers of expansion in case of a big war. I fully recognise, however, the necessity for the existence of a certain number of aircraft companies to cater for Service needs, but it must be remembered that, although Service Aviation is at present existing on machines which are the legacy of the late war, the number of machines which will be required in normal years in future will be considerable and in itself sufficient to maintain a healthy industry. I am firmly convinced that the first essential in the case of Civil, as in that of Service, Aviation is to clear away the rank growth of war. The sooner this is done and the industry reduced to dimensions commensurate with the demands, the sooner will Civil Aviation commence to grow and flourish. The longer the reduction is delayed by artificial means, the longer will a healthy growth, with its roots firmly fixed in the industries of the country, be retarded. The retention of designing staffs is a case in point. I recognise the import- ance of keeping the development of designs on progressive lines, but I do not think it is necessary to retain large designing staffs to ensure that this is done. The actual designers during the war were very few in number. It is their services which must be retained, and not necessarily those of their staffs, which consisted principally of engineering draughtsmen and the like, who could all be replaced at short notice, but I consider that, in order to keep a certain number of small designing staffs in being, it would be preferable, in place of giving subsidies, to place more orders with selected com- panies for experimental machines. 3. Apart from the general objection to any system of sub- sidies, I doubt if they would fulfil their object. The failure of indirect assistance is admitted to be due to the fact of the small demand for the carriage of passengers, goods or mails. Unless this is due to any shortcomings in the services provided, which can be removed by direct subsidies, I fail to see how such subsidies will increase the demand in any way. Doubts are expressed as to the possibility of commercially paying services between London and Paris and London and Brussels, and the recommendations for subsidies to the com- panies working these routes are based on the possibility of an extension of the services to Spain, Portugal, Italy, and the South of France. Is it certain, however, that we shall be allowed to carry mails in European countries ? 4. In view of the insistence in the terms of reference on the need of economy, it appears to me that whether or not any system of direct assistance or subsidy be adopted, it is necessary to review afresh the policy hitherto recommended by the Committee. In this connection I would quote the following extract from a previous paper written by me :— " When it was decided that it was necessary for the Government to help aviation, directly or indirectly, in order to keep it in being, it was agreed that the best assistance that could be given to Civil Aviation would be a certain number of Government landing grounds and accommodation which aerial transport companies could use, free meteoro- logical information, and the assistance of Government wireless on the routes, the marking out of routes, the providing of lighthouses at certain stations, and the inspection and certify- ing of the airworthiness of machines free of charge, and a certain amount of other minor assistance instead of giving direct subsidies to companies for useful work done, or simply for flying. JULY I, 1920 " This policy has been carried out and grounds have been bought, sheds provided and routes marked out, but un- fortunately it looks as if no aerial companies are likely to use to the full the facilities afforded, as apparently the assist- ance given has not been sufficient to enable companies to carry out useful work. This is partly due to the fact that the Post Office have not yet been able to given them useful mail contracts. Under these circumstances it seems doubtful policy to continue the expenditure of money on this indirect assistance on the scale previously proposed, when it appears that the assistance will not be utilised. In other words, aerodromes and sheds will be provided and no machines will use them for the purpose for which they were intended." 5. My recommendations are as follows :— (i) It is not advisable to give direct subsidies to aerial transport companies for work done, nor do I think the necessity has yet been shown for doing so. (ii) It would be preferable to allot the money suggested for subsidies to design and research by placing more orders for experimental machines with certain approved companies. (iii) If the subsidy is granted, then I am in agreement with the system of applying the subsidy suggested in the Majority Report in paragraph 8 (1). H. TRENCHARD. April 20, 1920. -->--.:;" APPENDIX ' Brief Summary of the more Important Steps taken by the Air Ministry for the Assistance of Civil Aviation. 1. Administrative Organisation.—The Air Ministry has been in existence since April, 1918. The Department of Civil Aviation was established on April 1, 1919. 2. Co-ordination of the Meteorological Service under the Air Ministry. The Headquarters of the Meteorological Office were transferred from South Kensington to the Air Ministry in November, 1919, and all the Government Meteorological Agencies including the Marine, Statistical and Instruments Divisions, and the British Rainfall Organisation, are now co-ordinated under the Department of Civil Aviation which is responsible for the whole Meteorological Service of Great Britain. A new Meteorological Committee has been formed on which the Royal Society, the Admiralty, War Office, the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, the Board of Trade and the Colonial Office continue to be represented. 3. Research. The assistance and experience of the De- partment of Supply and Research which is now under the Air Ministry is at the disposal of civil aviation firms. An Aeronautical Research Committee has been appointed to assist in the advancement of Aeronautical Science. 4. Adjustment of International Relations. The International Air Convention, in which Great Britain took a leading part and on the provisions of which the British Air Navigation Regulations are mainly based., has been signed by the Allied and Associated Powers and the Dominions except the United States, Japan and Canada. The total number of States which have signed is twenty-nine. Pending ratification of the Convention temporary agree- ments for communications by air have been concluded with Belgium, France, Italy and Portugal; and also with Holland and Switzerland. Permission for individual flights has also been obtained from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland and Spain. 5. Legislation for the Control of Air Navigation in Great Britain. An Air Navigation Act, 1919, was passed to make temporary provision for the regulation of Air Navigation and provisional Air Navigation Regulations came into force on May 1, 1919, and have been amended where necessary. The regulations provide, inter alia, for registration of aircraft, licensing of personnel, issue of certificates of airworthiness, rules for lights and signals and rules of the air, and instruc- tions with regard to arrival of aircraft in and departure from the United Kingdom. An Air Navigation Bill largely based on the recommenda- tions of the Civil Aerial Transport Committee, will be intro- duced in the House of Commons this Session, in order to bring the International Air Convention into force. A Sub-Committee of the Advisory Committee for Aero- nautics has issued a report as to load factors to be used in the design of Civil Aircraft. 6. Uniformity of Air Legislation throughout the Empire and Co-operation between Home, Dominion, and Colonial Govern- ments. Departments concerned have been notified of the necessity of all Dominion and Colonial legislation conforming to the Convention and as far as possible to the British Air Navigation Regulations. Close relations are maintained between the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, India Office, and Air Ministry, whereby touch • "ti 688
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