NZ Ministers Go North

Call Of The

Islands

WITH winter’s biting southerlies whipping Wellington’s Houses of Parliament, thoughts there, in June, were turning to the isles to the north.

First to succumb to the call and slip quietly away was a party headed by Civil Aviation Minister Shand, with Secretary Kemp, Aviation Director Gibson, and Secretary Rae in close support. Also there were Mesdames Shand and Kemp. It was a Ministerial “inspection” tour of aviation facilities along the Coral Route which only by chance co incided with the annual fete at Papeete!

The Minister’s technical staff might have handled all the inspec tion necessary, though there were grounds for some doubt on that score in Western Samoa, There, without prior warning, all air connection with the outside world was suddenly withdrawn on April 5 due to a . “deterioration” of radio navigational facilities.

A minor short-term breakdown would have been understandable, but inquiries in mid-June indicated that repairs and replacements were still proceeding at Satapuala- Faleolo Airport and that the Civil Aviation Department’s facilities “might” be ready by July 1, three months after the “deterioration.”

What it has cost TEAL—or the Mew Zealand taxpayer—will not be mown until the end of the 1955-56 anancial year. What is known is :hat it has seriously cut down FEAL’S payload, right at the height )f the Tahiti tourist season, as the lying-boats are forced to take on much additional gasoline at Suva or the long hop directly to Ututaki.

As Aitutaki’s radio facilities are of ibout the same vintage as Samoa’s, i similar “deterioration” there would 19 1 be surprising. No doubt there vill be some chilling questions to counter the warmth of the Coral loute at the next session of Parlia nent in Wellington! \ MORE extensive tour was planned by New Zealand’s current Territories Minister Mr. lacdonald. He departed three days fter Mr. Shand’s party on June 21, nth Islands Secretary J. B. Wright, n a “familiarisation” tour of all lew Zealand’s tropical territories— lamoa, Niue, the Tokelaus, the vari us outer Cook Islands, some of diich have not seen a Minister except with reversed collar) for be past 30 years.

First leg of this excursion was by ofua from Auckland. The RNZAF, ’EAL, and sundry shipping was to rovide the remaining transport of ae month-long tour.

Like all other Ministers preceding im, he will undoubtedly return reatly impressed with everything