Tonga’S Airfield May Now Grow Peanuts
p. 10 · Read in the full issue
Nukualofa, July 12.
THE call at Tonga was cut out of the schedules of New Zealand National Airways early in July, and the Islands kingdom is now without any air-service whatever.
We depend for mails upon the steamer services.
It appears that the airfield at Fuamotu, near Nukualofa, was in charge of the NZ Government’s Ministry of Works, and the latter decided that Tonga should con tribute £lO,OOO per annum towards its upkeep. Tonga replied that it could not afford any such ex penditure—particularly in view of the huge building programme which it had undertaken.
The Tongan people are not greatly concerned. They say the air service was only run for the benefit of the European merchants and Govern ment officials. The seats available in Nukualofa for passengers rarely exceeded three or four, and some times there were none.
There is some talk that Nukualofa may become a port of call for the!
Tasman Empire Airways new service
from Auckland to Tahiti with flying-boats. This may be feasibld as such craft could use our lagooo and no airfield maintenance needed.
It is rumoured that Prince TujT —who made the airfield availafch from his own land, free of chargee' may now use the airfield for grovo ing his peanuts. The Prince hrl gone ahead rapidly with his pla:sJ for introducing this secondary cm; to Tonga, and his fields adjoiniiir the airfield already carry heajsj crops of the vegetable, as showo in above photo.