Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-02-04
Legislative lam" Endan-
gers Project, President
elect Told in Message.
URGENT APPEAL POINTS
OUT BACKING OF OTHERS
Approval Given Plan by Coolidge,
MacCracken and d. C. Business
Interests Cited in Plea.
An urgent appeal to Herbert Hoover

An urgent appeal to Herbert Hoover
to issue general statement supporting
the need of a first-class airport for
Washington and declaring that leg
islative jam" now endangers the airport
bill now before Congress, was dispatched
today by the Washington Board Of
Trade to the headquarters of the Presi-
dent-elect at Miami, Fla.
The telegram to Mr.. Hoover, sent in
the name Of the trade body by Law
renee E. Williams. chairman Of its avia-
ton committee, points out that local
business and civilian interests, as we'll
as many Federal officials, including
President Coolidge and Assistant Secre-
tary OF Commerce MacCracken. have
approved the proposed construction of
f1rst-claSS airport on Gravelly Point.
The wire to Mr. Hoover reads:
do you favor first-clasS airport for
the City of Washington? President
Coolidge looks with favor upon legisla-
ton indorsing project Secretary Mac
Cracker strongly approves project. Bus
mess and civilian interests almost
unanimously behind it. Legislative Jam
endangers bill well on way through Con-
gresS. Senator Capper working des-
perately to get action at this session.
VIII you give general statement on need
OF municipal airports, especially. in the
Nations Capital?"
Local trade bodies have championed
the cause OF the airport legislation,
which would provide for the construc-
ton of first-class airport on the
Gravelly Point site on the Potomac and
which would provide service for the
handling of air mail of both local in
terests and the Federal Government.
The Board of Trade and the Wash
lngton Chamber of Commerce, through
their aviation committees, have made
extensive surveys of sites for the pro-
posed airport and the organizations
gave hearty approval of the Gravelly
Point site as the most economical and
most adequate for the service planned.
me District Commissioners and other
omcials are on record approving this
project and are urging enactment of
legislation now before Congress.
Delay i'm Action Indicated.
The bill pending in the Senate Dis
trlct committee to authorize municipal
airport at Gravelly Point probably will
De put of for action by the next Con-
gress. it was indicated today.
1t is understood the subcommittee
now drafting the District appropriation
bill for the coming fiscal year is con-
sidering the advisability Of including
In the supply bill an item for general
survey of the landing field needs of
the Capital, and If such a survey Is
undertaken, IL is not believed likely that
the pending airport bill would be re-
ported out of committee for action in
the meantime.
An Army housing bill favorably re-
ported last week by the Senate military
analrs committee included among other
items an authorization of $500 600 for
purchase of additional lands for the
War Department near Boiling Field,
and it may be that the necessity for
rearranging the Army field bears some
relation to the suggestion for a survey
OF the airport requirements of the
Capital.