NEWS OF THE WEEK
THE- Cadman Committee's report on Civil Aviation is a vindication of the wisdom of the House of Commons, whose criticisms in the course of a debate last November compelled the Government to appoint the committee of enquiry. Its members have done their work well, showing themselves thorough in their diagnosis, unrestrained by respect of persons in their': comments, and constructive and comprehensive in their proposals. The suspicion that much was wrong with civil aviation in this country is abundantly confirmed. It has clearly been pushed on one side at the Ministry, concentration on military needs being no doubt the explanation but not an adequate excuse, and Imperial Airways, which draws a large subsidy from the Government and with the help of it paid 9 per cent. on its ordinary shares last year, comes in for severe criticism as lacking in enter- prise and initiative and intolerant of suggestions from the Ministry. The C,onniittee accordingly proposes that Imperial Airways be restricted to services to destinations outside Europe, European services being entrusted to British Airways, and a new company controlled by Imperial and British being formed to handle London-Paris traffic only. There is hardly an activity in the field of civil aviation which the committee, which views the whole position " with extreme disquiet " and considers it gives rise to " more than apprehension," does not visit with severe criticism. Route mileage flown by Imperial Airways has decreased instead of increased in fourteen years ; many of the com- pany's machines are obsolete ; British Airitays are using foreign 'planes ; subsidies are being paid to foreign com- panies to carry British mails to South America.
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