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Aviation History
1935
1935 - 0664.PDF
324 FLIGHT. MARCH 28, i935. Aerodromes and (cities THE suggestion put forward by Mr. O. E. Simmonds in the House of Commons, that the Government should spend £20,000,000 on provid ing three hundred aerodromes in Britain, is cer tainly audacious. Of course, he cannot have meant that this vast sum should all be provided in one year; but, even so, the mere thought of spending such a sum at such a time as this is enough to make the taxpayer gasp. An extra £10,000,000 is being spent this year on defence, and this has caused an outcry from a vocal minority. The defence Estimates will doubtless be voted, and voted willingly, by the Faithful Commons, but they will be voted with a sigh, as members reflect that they and their constituents had hoped for another sixpence off the income-tax, and that the hope is now dwindling. Nevertheless, it is never true economy to refrain from a profitable investment, and if it can be shown that the nation may expect greater prosperity when there is an aerodrome beside every considerable town, then the pro vision of funds ought to be seriously considered. One ought, however, to be clear about the object in view. Among possible objects are (1) the promotion of national or local prosperity, (2) the increase of flying as an end in itself, (3) the provision of a reserve of pilots for defence purposes, and (4) employing some of the unemployed Of these only the first is a valid reason for expenditu on the scale proposed. The other objects can be betfe6 obtained in other ways. r Mr. Simmonds may be congratulated on his frank admission that municipal aerodromes are not assets but liabilities. Flight has always hesitated to join in th cry that municipalities should buy quickly or they may be left behind. We may take it, then, that aerodromes beside cities have not yet paid. If they are never likely to pay, then there is scant justification for the nation to rush in where the municipalities fear to tread. Our hope however, is that along certain routes air lines will pro! mote prosperity, and air lines must have aerodromes One whole well-thought-out scheme may show a profit where an individual aerodrome will show a loss. Some railways (one in Malaya has been quoted) have never shown a profit, but the whole prosperity of the district depends on keeping the trains running. Steps have been taken to map out the probable lines of development of internal air traffic in the future. On the basis of such a forecast, it does seem that the State might well undertake the financial responsibility of lay ing out the routes and equipping them. That is a more hopeful method than the one suggested by Mr. Simmonds of going by the populations of towns, many of which may not require an aerodrome for years to come. SILHOUETTE: A fine impression of four Blackburn "Baffin" (Bristol "Pegasus M") torpedo-bombers from H.M.S. Furious on early patrol during the recent Combined Fleet Exercises.
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