The border vidette., 1927-11-05
PRIVATE CAPITAL WILL DEVELOP
AIR SERVICE RAPIDLY
(Arizona Republican,

| (Arizona Republican,
i After having nurtured the in.
'ffant air mail service to its pre-
sent stage of success, the gov
Fernment has turned it's lines over
to private operators to be oper.
ated under contract. Whether
this move is wise one or not
remains to be seen. The ques.
| ton will not be determined by
argument between those oppos
ed to governmental ownership of
transportation facilities and
those favoring it, Time alone
will be the deciding factor that
will settle the wisdom of the
movement.
| The last link of the transcon.
tinental air mail line, the crack
Chicago New York run was taken
over recently by the National
Air Transport Corporation. In
cldentally, that link was the last
remaining under government con
troll, and its relinquishment
means that from now on com
| mercial air service as we'll as air
mail service, will be developed
by private individuals and cor
porations.
The real purpose Of the bust
ness has been to. demonstrate to
private capital that the service
was not only possible scientii
ca!ly, but that it could be made
/ profitable commercially, and
thereby encourage the creation
of new industry in the United
| States" was the statement of
1 Postmaster General New follow.
ing che release of the last line to
] private ownership.
i The European nations have
made much faster progress in
the development of airlines than.
has this nation. due chiefly to
the subsidizing of the lines by
the European nations. We in
/ America have never been strong
| for governmental subsidies. It
/ therefore was necessary as Post
/ master General New stated, for
the government to demonstrate
to private capital that the thing
could be done. The demonstra-
tion was successful and private
capital has been shown.
| The results are apparent. Avia
tion. particularly commercial
| aviation, has taken bounding
boost in this nation, dating es
pecially from the transatlantic
! flight Of Col. Charles Lind bergh.
and it is now evident that priv.
ate capital in this nation will in
a short time make the United
States the leader of the world in
that respect. Private capital
| will outstrip governmental sub
sides in that respect.
| This turning over of the air
mail lines does not mean that
the government will cease to
take further interest in aviation.
It will continue to assist, for it
! will have an interest in the in.
dustry by reason of the air mail
service. It will aid in lighting
| the fields for night flying and
with many other indirect sub.
| sides of that nature.
! The government. operating
only as a demonstrators that com
mercial air service could be sue
cessfully carried on. was slow to
| extend its lines. Now that priv
ale corporations will engage in
the business, the extension of
the service will be rapid. It will
be so rapid. that almost before
we have realized, this nation will
be criss-crossed with air lines
that reach nearly every COM
munity.
We are on the verge of wave
of air commercialism which will
sweep this country with the fury
and swiftness of tidal wave,
and if we are to get any of that
wave, we must have much faster
action in preparing our muni
cipal aviation field as a first
class airport than has attended
the enterprise since we requir.