Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1922-10-23
NOW MY IDEA is THIS!
Daily Talks With Thinking Phiqdephians Subjects They
Kno,v Best
KnOW Best

the experience of many such companies that
passengers feel that they are taking their
lives in their hands and are simply in search
of n sensation.
I'm the majority Of cases those who might
benefit by the time saved in air travel are
scared away by the supposedly great danger.
Still others cannot afford the high charges
that are now necessary. and another great
difficulty has been the scarcity of landing
fields. Is it any wonder that capitalists are
not enthusiastic about investing their money
in airplane- operating schemes?
safeguarded in Europe
I'm Europe steps have been taken in the
right direction through strict Government
supervision Of commercial flying, and the
proportion of accidents has been greatly re-
duced, the average being one fatality for
every 100000 passenger miles. while GER
tain lines have shown more than $50 900
airplane miles without a single passenger
being lost.
The cure. or rather the beginning of the
Federal control of commercial aviation,
which would include the licensing and in
sspecting OF both aircraft and pilots. Care
fully considered legislation would give oper-
ators OF air service base to stand on and
would encourage the pioneers The activi-
ties of these legitimate pioneers, if we may
take the Aeromarne Always and the New
York San Francisco Air Mail as examples,
would then gradually overcome the appre.
tensions of the public by their regular
service and would gradually convince peo-
pie of the usefulness of this rapid transpor-
tation.
'Aeromarine planes, In addition to their
successful Southern services, have carried
during this summer more than 1900 passen.
gers between Detroit and Cleveland Alto
gether ge oth this company has flown more than
1.OOO,OO miles and carried more than -,
600 passengers without mishap. The mar
velous record OF the air mail in operating
year without fatality and in maintaining
! an efficiency Of more than 0i per cent is too
| well known to need comment The public
being once convinced capital would soon
| become interested.
| A National Association
| ITO foster and encourage aviation, both
| military and commercial, there was formed
mt Detroit during the mir races the National
| AerOnautic Association, at convention
composed of delegates of the Chambers of
| Commerce of many cities, from aero clubs
! all over the country and from the already
existent but too limited Aero Club of Amer
lea and National Air Association.
Much preliminary work had been done
| and the convention went to work with n
will and accomplished n great deal in tb'
short time at it's disposal. Though but n
few days old the association is very powcrful
and will play in aerOnautics the part which
| the American Automobile Association has
played in the development of the motorcnr,
"This association is expected to absorb tho
Aero Club of America and the National Air
Association and thus secure the right N
sanction and actively supervise undor
license of the Federation Aeronautioue Tn .
ternati0nale, all contests. trials and CONNIE .
titiOns of aircraft 1t will cndeavor to dis
seminatc information and to voice pubIic
opinion upon essential legislation in aircro f.
matters, and by acting in harmony with
Chambers of Commerce, State Governments
and the Federal Government, to continue tho
work of establishing landing fields Thus il
hopes to bring about the cure and to nlnco
the United States, the land of the Wrigbts
and Curtiss, of the designers of the world.
fastest airplane and of the super charger
at the head Of aviation, where It belongs,
How All Can Help
"But how can busy Americans help in thi,
matter? The answer is easy. We can i
sufficiently interested, join the Aeronauti,
Association and swell its power; we can urg,
by many means the passage of Federal law,
regulating carefully the use of aircraft W,
can back our Chambers of Commerce in thel,
efforts to secure landing fields for our citic
by pointing to the examples of Pittsburgh
Baltimore. Kansas City and Chicago, m,
when the time cOmes---and it Is coming soor
we can lend our support to the pioneer al
lines and travel by air.
"More especially we in Philadelphia ca,
wake up to the fact that in these matters W,
have let other cities in our district slip b,
u.s. Baltimore and Pittsburgh are ready W
are not, Shall we let the visitors from thcs
cities to our Scs9ui- Centennial see how w
have slumbered?" 4