Evening star., 1926-01-24
PREDICTS NEW ERA
OF AIR TRANSPORT
Commerce Report on Survey
Suggests Laws 10 Aid
Civil Aviation.
r. the Associated Press

y new era OF air TRANSFORMATION =
approaching. waiting merely collective
action through the Federal Govern
ment in airwav maintenance. j. Wal
ter Drake, Assistant Secretary of Com
m.rcc, declared yesterday III the fn1'
report Of q committee which has 60"
Quoted Survey of possibilities in the
field of civil aviation. The Commetre z
Depa rtment. with the American En2i
necrinS Council. co-operated III thr
study.
Reviewing accomplishment at hon.
nd abroad of those who have Sought
10 establish commercial .;viatlon. tn.
committee found and set out nl'n'
reasons which Mr.. Drake. Gs its chair
man. formulated in the foreword 10 IL
published volume. Secretary Hoove'
aso added a statement agreeing With
the main findings.
Four Obstacles in WAY.
-Four chief obstacles. all held
definitely surmountahle. were ou'-
lined. The first lay i'll lack Of datlnlte
status and governmental control for
aircraft and the second in lack %
governmental policy Sha ped TO encou
ace aerial enterprise by independen'
organizers. Lack of craft entirely +
for tho endeavor and lack OF puhli'
support werc likewise cited.
congress was urged to enact le-is
lation dealing with civil aeronautics
srd to equip the Commerce Depart'
rlent for rendering aid To air n2vi-a-
tion in WAYS akin 10 those il now rem
6ers for maritime and river navica-
tiion.
The law proposed would provide for
the establishment of bureau of civil
Reronautics III the Commerce Denart-
mont. This bureau would have power
To license pilots and INSPECT end regis
ter aircraft. develop. establish or Ike
over and maintain air routes and air
navigation facilities: administer inter
+. national air navigation regulations rs
they effect the United States and en-.
courage and promote civil air trans
port and the aircraft industry and
trade
The law, the report recommends
should recognize the public right o.
free air navigation. define the liability
ef common carriers en-a Ged in air
transportation in interstate and
foreign commerce. reconcile the rules
of water navigation with air naviga
ton and correlate the laws relating
10 customs, public health. imports;
and exports and to other statutes Of
general scope. with the civil aeronau-
tics act TO recognize carriage of
goods and passengers by air. 1t was
also recommended that the States
enact statutes authorizing munici-
l,alities 10 acquire and maintain with
public funds and TO lease landing
fields.
Investors Should Investigate.
The committee held that investment
IN civil aviation enterprises should he
made only with full knowledge of the
: int arrity and competence of all those
involved. and after careful considera-
tion had been given as to tina ncinc.
routes. equipment. depreciation rates.
operating personnel and character.
sources and probable volume Of
traffic.
If civil aviation is to Justify itself
or q business basis" the committe &c
report said, we must supply air ira MS.
port with those essential facilities
which have long been accorded to sur
face transportation. The history Of
the railway. the waterway and the
highway affords ample precedent"
An extensive economic field for the
sirDlane was pictured by the com
nittee which saw chronological ap-
plications as one of the most profitable
uses of aircraft.
NJ ,.iil1tu use Of airplane busting
In the Un..td states would make pos
sihe d net annual saving to the cotton
growers alone of about Sl35. 06H 0c0 :
the report said. Further experiment
arc extending ths use of airplane
dusting TO other plants and trees
Among the numerous industrial ap-
plCationS of aircraft which have been
found effective. or are under develop
ment are: Town planning. engineer
Ing projects. advertising crop eSti.
nation and fisheries