Evening star., 1922-03-12
BY EDWARD NELSON DINGLEY.

teal prODlemS pTeSeHteu
" by the progress of COM
mercial aviation? In a
communication to Congress on the
18th of April, 1921. President Harding
said: 'Tt has become pressing duty
of the federal government to provide
for the regulation Of air navigation,
otherwise Independent and conflict
ing legislation will be enacted by the
various states which will hamper the
development of aviation. The ma
tional advisory committee OF aero
nautics has recommended the estab-
lishment of a bureau Of aeronautics
in the Department of Commerce for
the regulation Of air navigation,
which recommendation ought to have
legislative approval"
The executive committee reported:
1.-The federal regulation should include
the licensing of aviators, aircraft and
airdomes; the airways should con-
sist of chains of landing fields provid-
ing supply and repair facilities, and
including the necessary meteorologl-
cal stations, observations and re-
ports"
President Harding says: Il think
there can be- no doubt that the de-
yelopment of aviation will become OF
great Importance for the purposes OF
Commerce as well as for national de-
fense."
In response to these appeals num-
Der Of bills have been introduced IN
both houses of Congress attempting
to regulate civil and commerc1ai
aviation. The two most talked OF
bills are the Hicks bill in the House
and the wadsworth bill in the Senate.
These two bills, substantially identl-
cal in principle, might be united and
called the Wadsworth-Hicks Dill. IN
substance, it authorizes the Secretary
Of Commerce to establish in the De-
partment Of Commerce bureau TO De
known as the bureau of civil aviation.
There is to be commissioner OF CIVIL
aviation, an assistant commissioner
and necessary clerks and secre etarles.
The Secretary of Commerce throush n
this bureau is % to foster civil ava
ton. (2) to inspect designs and con
StruCt1On, (3) TO regulate tHe opeio
ton of civil aircraft, "a TO lay out
air routes, 60 to establish landlns
fields and stations, (6) to recommend
meteorological service, CD to>dlsseml-
nate information, (S) to investigate
causes of accidents, (9) to exchange
information with foreign countries,
(10) to operate aircraft as deemed
necessary, CID to prescribe manner
of using air routes, (12) to survey
and inventory Industrial and civil
aeronautical resources.
The Secretary of Commerce IS TO
prescribe rules ~ for licensing pl-
lots, ca for registration of civil arr
craft, (3) for suspension OF licenses
(4) for conditions for using aircraft
(5) for prohibition of navigation over
areas specified for military, naval or
postal purposes. The Secretary OF
Commerce is to establish conditions
under which persons may be carried
and property imported and exported
in civil aircraft, into or through the
United States. This authority ex.
tends to all aircraft except those OF
the Army and Navy. One of the I'm.
portant provisions is that the district
courts of the United States shall nave
exclusive jurisdiction over all claims
and controversies, and "the law ana
procedure to be applied shall con-
form, as nearly as may be, to the
principles applied in cases of ad-
mi1alty jurisdiction" The same