Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-08-13
REQUEST ASSURES
MAIL STOP FOR DC.
Budget Director Recon-
mends $125,O0O for First
Year to President.

Announcement in Rapid City, S.
OAK, by Brig. Gen. Herbert NJ. Lord,
director of the Budget Bureau, that
he has recommended an appropria-
ton Of $125,000 to be applied toward
the first years work of establishing
an airport for the District, brought
positive assurance to Washington to-
day of the use of Boiling Field as a
stop on the projected air mail line be-
tween New York and Atlanta, Ga.
At the same time the announce
ment raised questions at the District
building as to whether the citizens
Of Washington would have to pay all
of the 900, an amount which Is
estimated as necessary to develop the
airport in period of five years.
This situation was cleared up some
what when it was learned that the
Commissioners have before them a re-
vised bill for submission to the Budget
Bureau and Congress calling for an
expenditure the first year of $3.50, 900,
one-half of which Is to be paid by the
District and the other by the Govern
ment. The bill is in the nature of an
enabling act. authorizing the project,
and it was held that before any money
could be appropriated for construction
of the proposed airport authority first
would have to be granted.
Based on Memorandum.
The $125,OOO recommendation of
Gen. Lord was explained as being due
to the fact that the Budget Bureau
asked the Commissioners to present,
in memorandum form, a list of prob
able supplemental or deficiency esti.
mates it would submit for 1928. To
this request the Commissioners re-
piled, as matter of information, and
included an entry, For municipal air
port, $150,0O0" This was reduced
S25,O00 by Gen. Lord.
Therefore, it was explained, Gen.
Lords recommendation was based on
the memorandum which in no sense
was an estimate and no. question of
division of payment was brought into
the matter. The action of the Com
missioners was taken in anticipation
Of legislation being enacted for the
airport as a result of the agitation on
the subject for more than two years.
Mail Stop Papers Drawn.
AS soon as the office of F. Trubee
Dawson, Assistant Secretary Of War
for Aviation, learned Of Gen. Lords de-
cision, the necessary papers, giving the
Pitcairn Aviation, Inc, operators by
contract of the proposed air mail line,
permission to use Boiling Field as a
stop on the route, were drawn up. 1t
was said at the Air Secretary's office
that the terms of the agreement en-
tered into with the Commissioners
would be carried out to the letter.
This agreement was to the effect that
the War Department would depart
from its policy of prohibiting CONNER
cial aerial operations from military
fields in Washington's case, provided
the Commissioners took some tangible
action toward obtaining an airport.
This the Commissioners did in de-
Gliding on the Gravelly Point site and
transmitting to the Budget Bureau it's
statement that an appropriation for
development of the site, now under
water. would be asked for. Further,
the Commissioners, in approving the
report of Maj. w. E. r. Covell, Assis-
Gravelly Point, approx
ed the draft of bill which was con-
tanned in the report and which called
for an appropriation of $150,000 for
the first years work, on a $3.50 basis.
The report of Maj Covell also in
cluded the recommendation that this
bill be transmitted to the Budget Blu
reau for submission to Congress, but
this, as yet, has not been done.
The bill, as it appeared in the ap-
proved report of Maj. Covell, provided
that: There be established in the
District of Columbia at or about the
of the Gravelly Point section
(Continued on Page 2. Column 6)