Evening star., 1927-05-08
IMMEDIATE ACTION
;. ;. URGED ON AIRPORT
n9
imperative Need Stressed in
: Report Adopted by Citi-
= zens' Federation.

characteristics the need for a mu
nicipal airport in Washington as be
Ing "imperativ4," the public utilitie.
committee of the Fedora ton of Citi
gems Associations. which held hear
Sngs on the question OF establishing
EAn air terminal here. submitted its
report to the federation last night
getting forth three available sites and
@1eaving the aftual selection to the
commissioners for the National Park
sand Planning Commission.
~ The report was adopted unanimous
IL by the federation and will be trans
emitted to the commissioners and by
Chem to Congress.
g>< Tie three SIZES held available for
san airport are, the Hunter-Gravelly
Point site. in the marshlands on the
sIirginia side q the Potomac River
gust off Hams Point; the old Wash.
s1ngton Jockey E'luh property or Ben.
ming site, and the tract adjoining the
Steel Plant. The report summed up
arguments which witnesses had given
%hoth for and q Finst these three sites
ypnd also Submitted detailed testimony
on the subject.
~ Immediate Action Urged.
u Immediate aci iion toward acquisition
OF the airport WIS urged in the report
10 accommodateet he aerial service soon
II open betwetE New York and At
>3anta via Was lingtOn. The danger
aof Baltimore a 4luiring the stop-over
.priviloge by Virt tle of it's recent action
In voting $1.501A00 for an airport was
stressed by the committee members.
y "All of those, who appeared before
your committee without exception,
the report said@ "stressd great neces-
~sity for making immediate arrange
sfnents for municipal airport in
gWashington. On this question there
swas no conflict of opinion nor even a
rdoubt expressed. The Assistant Sec
sTetary of Commerce stressed the
surgent necessit to hold the Washing
Ston terminal as Mgned to this city, in
khe United Stayns mail contract for
gthe service abb ut TO be opened be-
S1ween New VOW and Atlanta. which
swould later cars express and passen-
&gers."
On the matte1.pf location of the air
sport. the comm4 ee members summed
Cup the testimony it heard as follows:
S1t should be cifko TO the present ter
Eminals, post CRices and centers Of
9business. were III otherwise the ad-
Evantage to be ifAined by aerial trans
SportatiOn is los%: the field should be
Efairly level wittA good drainage and
Snot surrounded NY hills, tall buildings,
transmission liiSes, poles or other OBJ
sstructions; it should be possible of
enlargement tf meet growing de-
4mands; it shoulJ. if possible. combine
Facilities for al$ types of planes and
sit should be adjacent to railway and
-highway.
! Arguments pn Benning Site.
Z Arguments rffavor of the Benning
grace track site Wsere summed up in the
sreport as follo'I: 1t is located the
kshortest distanka from the railway
terminals. post &f5ce and business dis
Strict; could be made available for a
Handing field v@th minimum of ex-
Spense and in fhe shortest possible
Mtirne: could be clearly located at night
Sby means OF fl, ad lights which would
Snot be confuseH with other lighting
1systems: adjacent to both railway and
Shighway; could &C. readily expanded if
enecessary, at s;3tE mum of expense;
apparently free tSom Objectionable
Ssurroundings sAd "perilous air cur
grents"
81 Arguments against the Benning site
swere: Some insulating country near
&by giving rise 40 uncertainty of air
%conaitious and currents; did not pos
SSess sufficient available ground for ex-
%pansion If medtM airport should be de-
gSired on an extensive scale, for all
Kinds of air service. including lighter
xthan-air and saplanes; lofty smoke
Sacks of power plant in vicinity; ex-
,rpense and time required for dredging
sShasin for seapla41es: excessive distance
| from Municipal Building and center of
| CITY; two air plots contended the air
! currents are worse than at Boiling
+. field.
| /. As to the Hu!ster-G -Gravely Point site,
] tpe report salcf There is probably
/ no question as fto the fact that a ma
| 1ority OF the expert airmen, especially
! at the first ana second meetings. IA.
| Tored Gravelly Point as the model To-
I; cation for a national airport These
gentlemen were most jealous and per-
/ sfstent. notwithstanding the delay in
(, preparing the place and the cost of
/, dredging.
/ 4 They emphasized the nearness to
! the business center and accessibility
! from the Points TO all parts of the
bpSIness center, the large extent of
available virgfr4 lands free from OBJ
(, Jecfional structures, for further use.
as well as the excellent flying con-
otions due To absence of hills and
ravines. These points. they said, far
outweigh all objections to the delay
ln preparation and cost Of dredging.
I i Appropriation Move Cited.
l'"To this they added that the Dis
tfist Engineer Department is now
seeking an appropriation of $3.50, 900
from Congress 10 construct transporta-
ton facilities to carry refuse and
dAmpage below Oxon Run on the Po-
tpn1ac. which appropriation. together
With all suitabla filings and dumpage
might be appropriately converted to
sfltl in Gravel1y Point, at least to as
sfst in the undertaking of preparing
for future airport. They also cite
that no excessive values could be de-
rflanded for the land, as it is Govern
ment property. Passengers would be
landed in full view Of the White House
and Capitol and Mall with its massive
monuments and buildings.
The chief objections to Gravelly
Point seem to consist Of the distance
from the Union Station and city post
office, through heavy traffic over the
drawbridge."
i The report explained that the Office
of the United States engineer for this
district informed the committee that
, recently adopted regulation requires
all vessels of a certain class 10 rebuild
their stacks SO that the drawbridge
will not be used except in case of
large vessels. thereby reducing the
Opening of the draw at least 50 per
scent of its former use. During the
present year the draw remained un-
used almost every other day