Evening star., 1927-11-13
FUND FOR AIRPORT
REPORTED DENIED
Bureau Said to Have
Eliminated Item for
Gravelly Point Field.

Reports that the Bureau of the
! Budget in secret hearings on the Dis
trict budget had eliminated the Si50,.
900 asked by the Commissioners to
! start work on the proposed municipal
| airport at Gravelly Point brought
neither confirmation nor denial from
/ Brig. Gen. Herbert II. Lord, the bu-
reau director. yesterday. Gen. Lord
| declared that the airport appropria
ton was still under consideration with
other items asked by the Commissions
ers. The Commissioners expect to he
| notified of the bureaus decision this
week when the estimates are com
pieted.
Pending the establishment of an air
port the War Department has con
sented TO the use OF Boiling Field for
contract air. mail planes on the At
lanta.New York line which will start
March ]. This permission was given
only after Assistant Secretary f.. Tru-
bee Dawson had been assured that
definite steps would be taken toward
the establishment of permanent mu-
nicipal port and the Commissioners
had requested the Budget Bureau to
approve the $150,000 appropriation for
the work.
Just how the reported action of the
Budget Bureau in blue penciling the
item would affect this arrangement
could not he learned last night.
Warren |. Glover. second Assistant
Postmaster General, in charge of the
air mail service, hopes that Washing
ton will retain its place on the New
A . 10 ofa 1it,ie III
Pitcairn interests will be unable to
inaugurate the service before March l.
Ample Time for Action.
This should give the District ample
time to persuade Congress to include
an appropriation for the temporary
use of Boiling Field until permanent
airport is established" said MIR.
Glover. 'Otherwise, it is most likely
that Baltimore will have to be desi2
mated as an official stop on the route.
II is my understanding that the War
Department agreed to permit the usa
of Boiling Field as temporary land
ing place only on the condition that
Congress appropriates for a perma-
nent local airport
The terms set forth by the War
Department for the use of Boiling
Field followed long series of nego-
tiations between Assistant Engineer
Commissioner Covell, Lieut.. Donald
Duke. his aide in airport matters, and
Mr.. Dawson. Mr.. Dawson stated the
terms governing the restricted use
of the Army Flying Field after the
Commissioners recommended the air
port estimate and after the committee
representing Nashinstons three trade
organizations had pledged their
support.
Mr.. Glover stated yesterday that the
inaugural date of the New York
Atlanta Air Mail Service had been
set back owing to difficulty with con
tracts for completing the beacon
lights to mark the route for night
flying. AS a result of this delay. work
ing 10 the advantage of the District
in the light of present circumstances.
there will he enough time TO brn:
pressure To bear on Congress to make
the necessary appropriation for
permanent airport here
Cost Placed at $165, 900.
According TO estimates prepared by
Army Engineers, the total cost of con-
structing an airport at the GIslvelly
Point site on the Virginia side of the
river below Highway Bridge would
be S1G1, 900 il extended over a five-ycar
period. This estimate would provide
a class A field 1900 feet long by 3.00G
feet wide. Included in this estimate
it is understood. is the cost of con
structing the necessary hangers and
offices.
The burden upon the District tax.
payers, il the whole expense is to be
divided equally between the District
and Federal Governments, as pro-
posed. would amount TO approximately
$1,000 a year
The District Commissioners. at the
time the budget estimate was sub
mitied drew up bill for the action
of Congress proposing that the initial
payment of Sl50,000 for the work
on the airport be "chargcable. one
half out of the revenues of The DIS
trct of Columbia and one-half out of
moneys in the United States Treasury
| not otherwise appropriated"
Selection OF GravelIy Point as the
| airport site followed q fight that
threatened for a while to split wide
open the ranks of the various cit.
liens ansocia lions and the three trade
organizations. Proponents Of the
Benning tract site. who threatened
to take their fight to Congress. even
tualiy lost out when Mai T.. r.
ADN6H. a%SiEtHjL eng fDltllHlS-
sioner in his final rcpor. submitted
to the Commissioners. advocated
| GraveIly Point. lie was hacked in
| this by the Citizens Advisory Com.
mittee, the Chamber of Commerce.
! Poard of Trade and Merchants aud
! Manufacturers Association. Half n
! dozen proposed sites figured In the
| canvass made by Maj. COvelI and
! Leuf. Duke.