Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-07-26
FUND FOR AIRPORT
VOTEDFOR BUDGET
BYCOMM|SS|ONERS
S150,000 to Start Work on
Permanent GraveIIy Point
Site Approved.
CONDITIONS ACCEPTED
FOR BOILING FIELD USE
Bureau to Be Asked to Favor Ap-
preparation for Next
Fiscal Year.

The District Commissioners TODAY
voted unanimously to accept the con.
dltlon laid down by the War Depart.
ment for the use of Boiling Field as
temporary landing place for air mail
planes pending the establishment of
a permanent municipal airport for
Washington, and approved an appro.
priation of $15O,OOO to start work on
the Gravelly Point site for a perma.
nent port. Before the War Department
nnally will grant use Of Boiling Field
the Budget Bureau must approve the
recommendation Of the Commission.
ers. This action will be asked at once.
Acting on the instructions of the
board, Commissioner Dougherty later
requested Of the War Department that
revocable permit be issued in con-
nection with the Army air base in
AnacoSt1a so that necessary arrange
mentS may be made with the Post
Office Department to designate Wash.
lngton as an official stop on the New
fork-Atlanta air mail route to be es-
tablished this Fall
The action Of the District Commits.
SiOnerS approved in it's entirety the
hs
Covell, Assistant District Engineer
Commissioner, appointed to report on
plans to construct a permanent air
field, and also those Of the Citizens
Advisory Council.
Boiling Field Conditions Accented.
At today's board meeting the follow
ing letter. addressed to the Secretary
of War. was made public:
The Commissioners are advised
that the War Department will permit
the use Of Boiling Field by the Post
| Office Department for the receipt and
| delivery OF air mail II the depart.
| ment Is assured that such use will be
only temporary, and that the Commits
sioners Of the District Of Columbia
will take steps to provide a perma.
nent airport for the District of Co.
lumbla within a reasonable time. 1t
is understood that the conditions laid
down by the department will he that
1t receive assurances from the Com
missioners that they will recommend
definite legislation for an airport car
ryirg with it an initial appropriation
of at least $3.50, 900; that the necessary
| legislation to authorize the establish
ment Of this airport will be prepared
and submitted to the Budget Bureau,
and that, IL approved by that bureau,
| such legislation will be forwarded to
the Congress for introduction at the
next session, and that if such legisla-
tion Is enacted request will he made
for an appropria tion to be made avail.
able Immediately.
THE Commissioners beg to inform
you that they accept these conditions
n nd 10 Nrrf fl1A orli
| practicable date. They therefore re.
quest that a revocable permit be Is
sued them for the use Of Boiling Field
| as a temporary landing place for air
| mail planes only, in order that they
may make the necessary arrange.
| ments with the Post Office Depart
ment to have Washington established
as an airport in connection with the
New York-Atlanta air mail service to
be established by that department"
Referred to Dawson.
The Commissioners request for the
Boiling Field permit will he referred
to F. Trubee Dawson, Assistant Sec
retary of War in charge of aviation,
| who returned to Washington last
| night from New York City. 1t was
Mr.. Dawson who laid down the terms
| of the War apartment, acceptance of
which by the District officials makes
it certain that they now will obtain
permission to use the Army field
without cost to the District
Contingent upon the Commissioners
taking steps to put the necessary
legislation through Congress, the air
mail planes will be allowed TO OCCUPY
the Department of Commerce hangar,
and the flood lighting system of the
naval air station at Boiling Field
will be available for the night landing
and taking off of the planes.
The Commissioners world request
that the Budget Bureau include in the
supplemental appropriation bill the
Sl5O,OOO necessary to begin work en-
Grayelly Point, the site on the roto-
mac River opposite Hams Point
where it Is proposed to establish the
municipal airport. Half of the $685.
600 required to do this work over
period of five years would he taken
from Federal funds under tentative
legislation prepared by Mai. Covell.
Senator Smoot of Utah, chairman OF
the Senate finance committee, today
declared he would be in favor Of estab-
fishing the airport at Gravelly Point
if it is certain that the site is actually
within the District boundary. In an
interview which he gave out recently
at Rapid City, Senator Smoot said he
would oppose appropriating any sum
to be expended on a District airport
in Virginia. He explained today that
he had been under the impression
that the Potomac River site was out.
side the jurisdiction Of the District
and had made no study of the District
Supreme Court ruling. which officials
here regard as definitely establishing
the site within the boundary.
"If Gravelly Point is actue lly in the
District" said Senator Smoot, II have
no objections to 1t and all that remains
to be done Is to determine upon a
policy with regard to the airport.
Washington should certainly have an
airport and fully approve such a
project"
Once Boiling Field Is obtained for
the use of mail planes. the Post Of
fee Department will take the Official
steps to designate Washington as a
stop on the New York-Atlanta route,
which Ia exneCfed m begin ODera tionS