Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-10
~ONGRESS must decid,
within the next three
weeks whether the DiStric'

0ONGRESS must decide
within the next three
weeks whether the District
OF Columbia is to take its
rightful place on the aeronautical
map of the Nation. Unless certain
members of the Senate can be
persuaded to reverse their stand
against the enactment of local air
port legislation during the present
session the National Capital prob
ably will have no airport before
1893.
There is a ray of hope for the
Stalker Gravelly Point airport bill
in the action of the House District
committee a few days ago. The
committee directed its chairman
to confer with House leaders and
seek a place for the Stalker bill
on the House calendar. In the
Senate, however, the situation at
present is anything but favorable.
Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg
of Michigan, has cast a large and
dripping blanket upon the hopes
of Washington's airport hackers:
The Senator, who is chairman Of
the subcommittee in charge OF
local airport legislation, feels that
there is not much prospect for
passage of the Stalker bill or any
similar measure before Congress
adjourns Gil March 4. There is
some talk at the Senate end of
the Capitol of putting off the air.
port question for another year
until another survey" of the sit
uation can be made.
Await Decision on Boiling.
The Michigan Senator has been
Informed that certain Of his
colleagues feel that no effort
should be made to establish a
municipal airport here until the
fate of Boiling Field, the Army
flying field in AnacoStia, is decided.
Army flying officers are diSsatiS-
fed with Boiling Field because OF
its low and marShy character.
Plans are being made for reloca-
ton of the field on higher ground
nearly mile south of the present
site.
Another serious barrier to pas
sage of the Stalker bill is the
matter of apportionment of cost
of the proposed airport between
the Federal and District Govern
mentS. This is the real source of
the difficulty on Capitol Hill. There
Is strong bloc of Senators and
Representatives, who are de-
terTnined that the District tax
payer shall defray the entire cost
of the airport for the National
CAPITAL. So determined are they
that the Federal Government shall
not be called upon to help foot the
bill that they have succeeded in
blocking action on the pending
measure.
while the price of good legisla-
ton is careful elaboration, there
can be such a thing as too much
deliberation. WaShington'S Sorely
needed airport, apparently, is
being .deliberated to DEATH .
Washington is badly handicap
ped by lack of an airport. Not
only ID the lack of an adequate
airport q source of humiliation
but it is a serious obstacle to the
RkOSkCSS VI Lie City.
May Lose Mail Service.
Loss OF airmail service Is likely
TO result from the dilatory tactics
Of Congress. washington remains
on the airmail network of the
country only by sufferance of the
War Department. Use of Boiling
Field for airmail operations was
granted by the Army only upon
the understanding that a NUM-
cipal airport would be provided
without delay. The Army Air
Corps rightfully is opposed to the
continued use OF the local flying
field by civilian mail pilots. It is
contrary to Army policy.
The great air transport and pas
Genger lines which have been or
ganized during the Winter will be-
gin operations in the Spring. They
will fly their planes on railroad
schedules from coast to coast and
from the Gulf to Canada. But
not to Washington. We have no
airport.
There are in the United States
643 existing municipal and State