The Washington times., 1922-06-24
HICKS EXPLAINS
Civil AVIATION
. CONTROL PLAN
Great Need Of Encouragement
to New FIiers, Declares
Congressman.

A bM is before Congress to
estdblish q department. Of civil
aviation. CoNsressmon Frederic
C. Hicks, chatSman Of the sub
committee on naval aviation, tcho
presented tbs measure IN the
House, ecplains tchy he believes
The blu should become ldto since
ctvA aviation needs sncourca aement.
By CONGRESSMAN FREDERICK
HICKS.
tcopyrisht. lsss. BY cosmopoiitsn News
ssrvics.)
The development and encourage
inent Of civil aviation ID considarsd
20 important by most Of the coun.
tries abroad that these governments
their full cooperation but financial
assistance in maintaining their
plants and subsidy In the operation
Of the planes themselves. At the
present time II 10 possible to travel
by air between all the principal cities
OF Europe with o regularity ana NJ
q cost which makes aviation d tsri'
GUS competitor Of surface transpofta'
ton. =.
America, the inventor Of the air
plane, has been backward In this
Held of activity, yet we possess the
genius TO invent, the talent to pro
ducs ana the skill to operate. Sew
eral causes may be noted Tor TINS
lack Of development. one 10 That
until recently our investment capi.
tai has found other channe ! OF
profit, while another is the iack OF
proper appreciation OF advantages
OF aircraft to the travelling public,
while a third. and probably the most
serious detriment to aircraft ad:
vaneemeht, has been the lack OF
Governmental supervision over Air
craft and over the pilots to operate
them.
Bill Well Considered.
The bill introduced by Senator
wadsworth in the Senate and my.
self In the House seeks to correct
this last defect, but unfortunately
while the Senate has acted the
House has failed to do 90. These
bills have been prepared after CON
suitation with aviation authorities
and those interested in developing
civil aeronautical activities, ana ID
based largely upon q thorough ais
cussion of the subject. at the meet
ing last September Of the American
Bar Association.
The primary purpose OF this legis-
lation 10 to control civil aerial navi.
cation In order to preserve life ana
property and ct the same time 10
guide, direct and stimulate the
growth Of this new addition to our
transportation facilities. This can
BE- accomplished through an adequate
inspection and licensing Of pilots and
planes. laying out of air routes, the
establishment OF airdromes and the
dissemination Of weather reports for
the benefit Of pilots.
The bills are approved by practi-
cally all the organizations through y
out the United States, representing
the operating, engineering, construct.
ing and commercial elements Of
aviation and it 10 highly imperative
II American aviation ID to Keep
abreast Of the times. and is to ad-
vance as II should, that legislation on
this important subject be secured
without further delay.
Harding 10. Bscker.
President Harding has twice called
the attention of Congress to the need
of legislation on this very vital sub!
ject. To me II 10 undeniable that
commercial aviation 10 desirable for
the economic and social benefit II
confers In times Of peace and abso.
luteiy indispensable as 4 productive
reserve for purposes Of national se-
curity In case Of war. ! cannot too
strongly urge immediate action along
khta ltnA