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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0380.PDF
388 FLIGHT, 23 Morc/i 1961 AIR COMMERCE... SKETCHES BY GORDON HORNER THE BOARD'S FIRST HEARING Air Transport Licensing Board Opens Shop RATHER than offering a detailed report of the new Air Transport Licensing Board's first hearing on March 14, which dealt with applications of relatively limited interest, we thought it appropriate to record our general impressions of the occasion, and of the hitherto little known (at any rate in the air transport industry) men who will influence the destiny of Britain's air transport industry. IN a way it was the Air Transport Licensing Board, and not theapplicants for licences, who were on trial at 3 Dean's Yard,Westminster, on Tuesday of last week. Not many of thesixty-odd people who turned up for this first hearing of the new Board can have been quite sure, as the court room clock tickedtowards 2.30 p.m., what sort of men were going to take their places at the long table. What would they be like, these seven Solomons who (the corpora-tions tremulously fear) are going to take away much of their business and hand it over (the independents hope) to privateenterprise? Some not-too-respectful words had been written and spoken about their superannuation and their lack, with the mainexception of one member, of aviation experience. Would they know the difference between a Viking and a Viscount? Wouldtheir questions be pointed or, because of their inexperience of the industry, pointless ? Nobody in the tightly packed audience of first-nighters quiteknew what to expect as the door opened at 2.25 p.m. and these men of destiny, preceded by their secretary and assistant secretary,walked on to the four boards and a passion of British air transport. After a decorous interval of a few moments Mr A. H. Wilson, theacting chairman (the exception just referred to) entered, diffidently Impartiality essential-Mr James "odded. a "ZoodA afternoon" tor J the audience, and took his place. He wanted first of all, hesaid, to apologise for the rather cramped conditions—butthings would be better when the Board moved to their newoffices in the City. The proce- dure would be much the sameas that of the old Air Transport Advisory Council; the maindifference was that the hearings were in public—though this invAjyU itself would not make any *4 ISlF difference to procedure. But, we BY THE AIR TRANSPORT EDITOR SEVEN SOLOMONS Mr A. H. Wilson, CB, CBE (acting chairman). Age 65. Recentlyadviser on air transport, Ministry of Aviation, and since assessor with the Air Transport Advisory Council. Joined Civil Servicein 1930, Board of Trade, later GPO and Air Ministry. In 1943 Assistant Secretary in the Civil Aviation department which in1945 became Ministry of Civil Aviation. Under Secretary 1946, Deputy Secretary 1956. Professor R. G. D. Allen, CBE. Age 54. Professor of Statisticsat the University of London since 1944. From 1928 lecturer in statistics at London School of Economics; 1939-41 statisticianin Treasury. Director of records and statistics. British Supply Council, Washington. From 1947 statistical officer. Treasury,later consultant, UN Statistical Office. Mr C. Bagnall, CBE. Age 51. Managing director BritishNylon Spinners since 1945; 1940-42 technical adviser on organi- zation. War Office; 1946-49 chairman, Wales Business TrainingCommittee; 1949-52 member of council of British Institute of Management; chairman of South West Regional Council of theFBI 1956-57; governor of Ashridge College 1958. Mr E. Baldry, OBE. Age 65. Fellow of the Institute of Char-tered Accountants and senior partner in Allen, Baldry. Holman and Best. Member of Society of Incorporated Accountants since1919, in public practice for past 33 years, elected a member of the Society's council in 1949. Elected vice-president 1956 and electedto the council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants 1957. Mr C. P. Harvey, QC. Age 60. Called to the Bar 1923.Civil Defence 1939-40. War Office 1940-43. British Council 1943-45. Legal Assessor to General Medical Council and toUK Dental Board 1947. Deputy chairman, Beds. County Quarter Sessions since 1950. Sir Friston How, CB. Age 62. Civil Service in 1920 afterserving in the 1914-18 war. First appointed to the Exchequer and Auditing Department and later an inspector of taxes.From 1937 in the Civil Aviation Branch of the Air Ministry. During the Second World War Ministry of Aircraft Production.After the war Ministry of Supply Under Secretary. From 1954 until 1959 secretary of the Atomic Energy Office. Mr W. P. James, OBE. Age 67. Civil Service in 1919 afterserving in the 1914-18 war. Ministry of Pensions. From 1934 Ministry of Transport in the Road Transport and Shippingdivisions, and since 1952 chairman. West Midland Traffic Area.
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