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Aviation History
1923
1923 - 0480.PDF
AUGUST 9, 1923 paragraph (5) above, to keep the defence situation as a wholeconstantly under review so as to ensure that defence prepara- tions and plans and the expenditure thereupon, are co-ordinatedand framed to meet policy, that full information as to the changing naval, military and air situation may always be-available to the Committee of Imperial Defence, and that resolutions as to the requisite action thereupon may be sub-mitted for its consideration. " In addition to the. functions of the Chiefs of Staff asadvisers on questions of sea, land or air policy respectively, to their own Board or Council, each of the three Chiefs of Staffwill have an individual and collective responsibility for advis- ing on defence policy as a whole, the three constituting, as itwere, a Super-Chief of a War Staff in Commission. In carrying out this function they will meet together for thediscussion of questions which affect their joint responsibilities. " Questions relating to co-ordination of expenditure maybe entertained by the Committee of Imperial Defence when referred to it by the Cabinet. The Committee (subject to anydirections by the Cabinet) will consider such questions in the light of the general defence policy of the Government and ofthe strategical plans drawn up to give effect to that policy in time of war. " The Secretariat of the Committee of Imperial Decencewill continue to act as liaison officers Between the Chairman of the Committee and the Service Departments. The staffof the Committee will be strengthened by the addition of an Assistant Secretary to be nominated by the Prime Ministeron the recommendation of the Secretary of State for Air, whose status will be identical with that of the three existing AssistantSecretaries nominated by the Prime Minister on the recom- mendation of the Secretary of State for War, the Secretary ofState for India and the First Lord of the Admiralty. " The Standing Defence Sub-Committee is suppressed, andits past proceedings will be merged into those of the Committee of Imperial Defence." AIR ESTIMATES THE Select Committee appointed to investigate the Estimatesin their second Report deal with the pay of officers and men in the R.A.F. when it was considerably increased in 1919, andwith the terms under which certain officers are engaged. Sir Walter Nicholson, K.C.B., Secretary, Mr. W. A. Bland, C.B.,Departmental Secretary and Accounting Officer, and other representatives of the Air Ministry were examined, as wasalso Rear-Admiral Fuller, C.B., Third Sea Lord and Controller at the Admiralty. The Report elaborates in detail thevariations in the pay in the past and at present, the effect of the cost of living, etc. Referring to a visit to the School of Technical Training forboys at Halton, the Committee states that the number of boys in training there at the present time is about 1,350, and it isto be increased to 2,000. The Committee are of opinion that the management and training of these boys is conductedin a very efficient manner ; they were much struck with the discipline, with the order which was kept, and the arrangementby which they were efficiently taught a trade, which, when they left the Service, would enable them to earn a good living.These boys are taken at the age of 16 and remain till they are 18 or 19, and the trades they are taught are engineering andcarpentry, In addition they are lodged, fed, and clothed, and receive a payment of 10s. 6d. a week. This paymentseems to the Committee to be unnecessary. These boys are in the position of apprentices, and are not only extremely welllodged, fed, and clothed, but are taught, and very efficiently taught, trades which will be useful to them in after-life. Underthese circumstances it would appear that, if any payment is to be made, it should be made by the parents of the boys, andnot by the State, The buildings at Halton would seem to have been erectedinan unnecessarily extravagant way. The Committee are of opinion, however, that the taking over of Halton and utilisingit as it is utilised at the present time was probably more economical than reinstating it in its former condition andsurrendering it to its owners. It is pointed out that the hospital at Halton is a temporarybuilding, and will require to be made permanent. The Air Ministry propose to erect a permanent building at a cost of£182,000, made up as follows : General hospital, 178 beds, £103,000 ; families hospital, 20 beds, £26,000 ; quarters forhospital staff (single), nurses and orderlies, £32,000 ; married quarters for medical officers, warrant officers and orderlies—seven officers, two warrant officers and 8 other ranks, including external services—£21,000; total £182,000. The presentnumber of men and boys at Halton is about 2,500 with a possible increase to 3,000. The number of beds occupied in the hospital at one time has been as low as 15, and theCommittee were informed that the average number of beds occupied at one time last year at Halton was 101. Thepresent hospital also deals with cases at Uxbridge and Henlow. It was stated that this was the only Royal Air Force generalhospital of any size in England for providing training for hospital duties for medical personnel. This would appear,however, to be no justification for providing beds which are not likely to be filled. The Committee consider that this scheme should becompletely revised. Cranwell.—The total cost of the Cadets at Cranwell cannotbe ascertained by studying the Estimates, and it would appear to the Committee that the Estimates should be insuch a form that the House can readily ascertain the actual cost. A paper before the Committee stated the number of cadetsat Cranwell was at the moment 85, the cost per head per annum, exclusive of the cost of flying training, being £650.It was further stated that it was intended to work an average of 120 during the current year. On this basis the gross costwould be £480, less £65 per head contributed by parents and guardians. Another paper dealt with the kitchen cost forchefs, cooks, etc. Reporting upon the Cranwell farm of 300 acres, managed by the Air Officer Commanding, theaccounts appeared to be incomprehensible, but there was no doubt it had been carried on at a loss. The Committee are ofopinion the farm should be let and farming operations closed down. The grass of the Cranwell aerodrome (2,000 acres of grass,also under the $ame management) was made into hay. It is recommended the grass should be sold by auction as a growingcrop. Admiral Fuller's evidence suggested economies by com-bination between the Admiralty and Air Ministry, particularly in regard to aircraft carriers, if the personnel were naval. The witness was of opinion that if his suggestions werecarried out and an extra carrier, sanctioned under the Washington agreement, built there would be an annual savingof about £80,000 a year. The. witness was also of the opinion that there could be aconsiderable saving in the item appearing in the Estimates as " Ocean Transport of Personnel—£172,000," if that was doneby the Navy instead of as now by the Merchant Service. The Committee are of opinion that while the FlyingBranch of the Air Service is well managed, there is a great tendency to extravagance and a lack of proper financialcontrol or efficient organisation in the Ministry itself. London to Prague in 8 HoursTHE trial flight made by Capt. Barnard of the Instone Air Line on August 4 from London to Prague was entirelysuccessful. Flying a Vickers " Vulcan," with five passengers on board, Capt. Barnard left London at 9.45 a.m. Stopswere made at Brussels, Cologne, and Eger, and the machine reached Prague at 7.45 p.m. Copies of The Times thus reachedreaders in Prague on the day of issue. Britain and the Schneider CupIT is reported that, in addition to the Supermarine machine, two more British machines will represent GreatBritain in the race for the Schneider Cup. These are stated to be a Blackburn " Whale," with Napier " Lion," and aSopwith-Hawker, with Bristol " Jupiter." No Paris Show this Year FROM Paris it is reported that the Chambre Syndicalehas decided, after consulting the French aircraft constructors, not to hold an Aero Exhibition this year. The general feelingappears to be that the expense of showing machines every year at the Grand Palais is too great and imposes too severea tax on the constructors. The French Light 'Plane Meeting FIFTY-SIX machines have been entered for the light 'planetrials now being held at Vauville, near Cherbourg, and of these, 37 are pure gliders, the remaining ones being fitted with low-power engines. There is but one British machine entered, the " Zephyr," designed and built by members of the R.A.F.Aero Club." 480
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