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Aviation History
1924
1924 - 0196.PDF
IMPERIAL AIRWAYS, LTD. The New £1,000,000 Aerial Transport Co. ON April 1 the new aerial transport company, with a capital of £1,000,000 and a Government subsidy of another £1,000,000, known as Imperial Airways, came into being, having been registered the day before. The agreement for the formation of the new company was, it will be remembered, signed last December, and it was originally intended to start operations in the New Year. The directors of the new company are as follows :—Sir Eric Geddes, chairman ; Lord Invernairn ; Sir George Beharrell, Sir Herbert Hambling and Major J. W. Hills, representing the Air Ministry ; Colonel F. Searle (managing director) ; Colonel Barrett-Lennard, Sir Samuel Instone, and Mr. Hubert Scott-Palne. Major G. Woods Humphrey, who was formerly the manager of the Daimler Airways, has been appointed manager, and that is the only appointment yet made, apart from that of Mr. S. Dismore, formerly with the Handley Page Transport, AS secretary. With the birth of the new company, various rumours of strikes and disagreements have prevailed, and statements regarding their positions have been issued by both sides—• the company and the employes. Air Services were practic ally suspended, both Monday and Tuesday—but whether due to a strike or other causes, is somewhat obscure. In any case, it was originally intended that the new company should, as a matter of business, make a thorough inspection and overhaul of the plant, etc., handed over to them by the independent companies which had hitherto operated the various air lines. On March 31, Imperial Airways issued the following state ment :— A first meeting of the directors was held yesterday (Monday) afternoon of the new national aeroplane transport company which is to absorb today (Tuesday) the four existing operating companies, viz., Messrs. Handley Page, Ltd. ; Instone Air Line, Ltd. ; Daimler Hire, Ltd. ; and the British Marine Air Navigation Co. The new national enter prise, with a capital of £1,000,000, and subsidised by the State with another £1,000,000 spread over a period ot ten years, is to be known as " Imperial Airways, Ltd." Sir Eric Geddes, chairman of the directors, presided. It was decided by the directors, in view of the necessity of centralising the systems of operation, inspection, and control, in connection with the various staffs, and aeroplanes of different types, as employed up to yesterday by the four existing companies, that the aerial services to and from the Croydon air-station should be suspended, temporarily, as from today (Tuesday) for a short period. The terms of employment were considered which are to be offered pilots who will fly for the new company. In this regard statements are erroneous which suggest that any pilots at the air station were on strike yesterday. Until last night they were still in the employment of the four existing companies, and the new Imperial Company has as yet made no appointments. The directors decided that in the case of pilots who pass the rigorous medical tests which will be imposed, terms should be offered which, in the form of an annual retainer and " flying-time " pay, will ensure an annual income of £750 to £850, according to seniority, to pilots. For this they will be required to fly approximately an average of two hours a day. The records of existing companies show that the average earnings of pilots during the past twenty months have been in the neighbourhood of £680 a year. The sugges tion is quite untrue, therefore, that there is any intention to effect " drastic cuts " in the salaries of aeropla,ne pilots. On the other side, pilots and ground personnel have formed Unions, the former calling their association the Federation of Pilots ; the latter being known as the Federation of British Aircraft Workers, both organisations to be registered as trade unions. The secretary of the Pilots' Federation, Capt. F. L. Barnard, stated that the Federation was open to all pilots who earn their living by operating commercial aircraft and who hold licences issued by the Air Ministry. He said that practically all the pilots with those qualifications were members of the Federation. Until matters are more advanced it is probably difficult to say exactly what the difference between the com pany's offer and the pilot's views will eventually resolve itself into, but, according to Capt. Barnard, the pilots would prefer payment on a 10s. per flying-hour basis rather than one of flying miles, on the ground that the mileage rate would penalise the pilot of the slower machines and also work against the pilot in bad weather flying, when the strain is heavier than in fair weather flying. Capt. Barnard said that a deputation had waited upon a meeting of members of Parliament at the House of Commons, and had been assured by many members that they will sup port the pilots in their endeavour to secure the same pay that they have been receiving. The pilots also saw Mr. Leach, the Under-Secretary for Air. The Federation of Aircraft Workers sent a letter, on Mon day, to the new company, outlining their proposals, and stating that the offer already made is not acceptable, as the present rates are too low to be regarded as a permanent basis. Imperial Airways, Ltd., issued a further statement on Tuesday night in which, after outlining the formation and policy, etc., of the new company, it stated that :— The company is now prepared to receive applications from pilots for appointments at the rates of remuneration agreed by the directors, namely :— Flying Pay Total Year. Salary. per Mile. Income.* i d. £ 1st 400 If 755 2nd 425 if 780 3rd 450 If 805 4th 475 If 830 5th 500 If 855 Colonel Searle, the managing director of Imperial Airways, denied that the suspension of the air services was due to any differences with the personnel, and said that the company is anxious that the pilots shall receive every consideration possible. The pilots, on Tuesday, sent a deputation to the Air Ministry, consisting of Lieut.-Col. C. L. P. Henderson, president of the Federation of Pilots, and Capt. F. L. Barnard, the secretary, Mr. Ben Tillett, M.P., and Mr. Robert Williams being also with them in an advisory capacity. The deputation was received by the Secretary for Air, Lord Thomson. After the interview the Federation of Pilots issued a statement, based on tjie petition presented, in which they say that they regard the mileage basis as illogical, because it would be measured on land miles, whereas air miles should be taken into consideration. On many journeys against ordinary adverse winds this might involve an increase of at least 30 per cent, and sometimes more. The general custom in the past had been to base flying pay on an hourly basis, apart from a satisfactory " retainer." There was every reason why this should' be adhered to, especially in view of the fact that some of the machines taken over by the company would be 20 miles per hour slower than others. Comparing the published offer of the new company with the salaries earned under the old rigime, they say that they found that a Handley Page pilot received £915, an Instone pilot £857, while Daimler pilots had been earning on an average £1,000 a year. " It is therefore not correct to say that the terms offered by the new company are as good as those which have prevailed hitherto." They claimed that the pilots had been very badly treated by reason of the facts (a) the lateness at which the negotiations had been opened, (b) the formulation of such a completely inadequate scale of pay, and (c) the extraordinarily hostile manner in which their representations had been met, including the application to the Royal Air Force for a body of men to take their places. * If flying an average of two hours a day at 85 miles an hour. <$> . < > THE INSTONE AIR-LINE ON March 31, at Croydon Aerodrome, a " Farewell " luncheon was given by the Directors of the Instone Air Line to members of the staff, to mark the merging of the company into the Imperial Air Transport Co. Sir Samuel Instone presided, and among those present were Mr. Alfred Instcne, Mr. Theo dore Instone, Mr. G. Holt Thcmas, Mr. Alfred Davies, M.P., Lieut.-Col. A. Ogilvie, Lieut.-Col. W. A. Bristcw, Capt. P. D. Acland, Mr. H. T. Vane, and Mr. H. Scott-Paine. 196
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