410 SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—F. 
Wednesday, September 11. 
Dr. A. PLUMMER.—British air transport (10.0). 
(a) Early experiments and pioneer air services. The formation of 
Imperial Airways, Ltd., in 1924. Its policy and progress. The principal 
other British air lines. (b) The essentials of successful air transport. 
Types of freight most likely to be attracted. Speed and carrying capacity. 
Organisation. Costs. Fixed and variable costs compared. (c) State sub- 
sidies in aid of air transport. Questions of size and form. ‘The present 
degree of dependence upon State subsidies. British and European air lines 
compared. (d) Air Mails, Imperial and Foreign. Charges and speeds. 
Proposals for greater speed on Empire air mail routes. The chief obstacles. 
(e) Measurement of the progress of British commercial aviation. Com- 
parison with European air lines. Is safety increasing? (f) The future. 
Development of a national system of air transport for Britain. Britain’s 
réle in the development of international air transport. 
Mr. P. A. Forrester.—Economic causes of the localisation of industry in 
Norwich (11.0). 
The problem presents itself that Norwich, although situated quite away 
from the industrial areas of Great Britain, yet has a population of 129,000 
and important industries. The existence of these cannot be explained, to 
any great extent, by their dependence on local supplies of raw material or 
fuel. Other areas seem equally well situated as regards these things. 
This suggests that other factors are of more importance in determining the 
localisation of the Norwich boot and shoe, engineering, textile, mustard 
and starch industries. 
In its theoretical aspect the subject of localisation is in its infancy, but, 
in practice, certain specific factors may be seen at work in determining the 
situation of an industry. ‘The significance of these in regard to Norwich 
may be considered, and attention, in turn, be directed to the historical 
factor, to the influence of raw materials, of markets and transport, of supplies 
of labour and capital, and of the organisation of industry in the City. 
Further, Norwich may be compared with areas of similar industrial 
_ development. 
A study along these lines leads to the conclusion that, in Norwich, less 
substantial factors have been of more importance than the theory of localisa- 
tion would lead us to expect. In particular, it would seem that the existence 
of a plentiful supply of skilled labour, and the effects of along manufacturing 
and commercial tradition, are, to a large extent, the key to the position of 
Norwich. And it would also seem that the condition of the continued 
existence of her industries is their skilled organisation on specialist lines. 
Finally, Norwich, in a small way, shows the extreme difficulty of attempting 
to generalise on the problem of localisation. 
