Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1930-07-09
KIWANIS HEARS
AIRPORT FACTS
Brownsville Speaker Tells
OF Benefits From
Landing Field

HARLINGEN. July 9-The pro-
gress Of aviation in the past and that
expected Of 1t In the future were
related to the Harrington Kiwanis
club Tuesday by Jack McDermott,
traffic officer Of the Mexican Air
ways.
Aviation will grow and prosper
In the same magic manner OF the
Valley" Mr.. McDermott declared,
predicting that this section has a
real opportunity to acquire branch
factories and assembling plants Tor
airplaneS and airplane parts.
The time Is bound TO come" ne
said, when the Valley will prove
q valuable adjunct to Randolph
Field at San Antonio destined to be-
come perhaps the greatest aviation
center In the country.
1T seems to me-" he continued,
that there is a real opportunity
down here for a real aviation school.
There isn't one anywhere near the
Valley, that is, no large and prop
erly equipped school.
Mr.. McDermott made IL plain that
he was not persuming to tell the
members of the KiWanis club or
the people OF Harlingen that they
should vote for the 100000 airport
bond issue on July Is. His pur-
pose, he explained, was merely TO
state his views as to the prospect Tor
aviation expansion in and into the
Valley. Then, he said. If Harrington
should want to go after the air
business that is bound to come, II is
UP to the voters TO decide.
Air Transportation Grows
Pointing out that communication
and transportation long have been
considered the prime factors in the
development of any community or
any country, he said that the Valley
is in a strategic position to benefit
from both Of them.
Deep water and lower freight
rates will mean much. he predicted
but transportation by air, he as
serted, also is and will continue TO
make rapid progress. Miami, Fla,
and Brownsville, he pointed out, are
the two main points through which
most Of the air traffic TO Latin AM
erican countries now passes. Others,
he said, are bound to spring up.
"The public is becoming more and
more air-minded," the aviation Of
fetal declared, land every progress
sive town should keep It's sails trim
med, ready to keep step with the
orr Of the times. Aviation and
Harrington should work and grow
together.
IF YOU should decide here in
Harrington" he continued, TO build
an airport, you should not expect
Ia get your money back the next
wear nor within the next five years.
That part of II must necessarily be
slow but It is bound to come just as
surley as more air travel and safer
air travel, although right now no
risks are run by those who ride over
air lines which are well established.
Such precautions are taken as 70
make mishaps virtually impossible.
Examples Cited
Mr.. McDermott cited the growth
Of Wichita, Kansas, to demonstrate
the benefits which might accrue 70
q town which goes in for aviation
in a big way. This city, which has
become so well known, within the
last five year period as an alrplane
manufacturing center, he pointed
out. was little heard Of until i've
factories making planes sprang UP
there.
The Brownsville municipal air
port, he said. has become II OF the
most important in the country II
is recognized everywhere as a GOOD
one. he declared, and Brownsville
has been helped By publicity ana
business It has brought IN.
Texas, which in years gone py
had almost a monopoly on trace
with Mexico. gradually has peeh
letting part Of it slip. 1T can De
repained' he said, by use Of ar
travel and transportation and by
concerted efforts to devolp the prop
er spirit toward the peoples on the
other side Of the Rio Grande not
only in Mexico but IN the otner
Pan-American countries
Projects Outlined
Projects which he said Harrington
might w after. In the event 1t did
anrove the bond issue and put IN
an up-to-date airport, incluce q
large. modern. all-year-round avl-
alton school: airplane factories. and
factories or distributing plants lor
airplane parts
nv 3. N. Holland. who asserted APP
nroval of the airport bond issue
deserved the careful attention Of
every voter. He expressed the be-
lief that Harrington Is in a strategic
nosition with respect to the devel-
onment Of every sort or air travel
with countries on the other size
of the Rio Grande.
Pointing out that many smaller
towns in Texas ana oIhel ~
sireadv have modern airports, me
a1~erted that voters should think
long before voting against q project
which would allow the city to keep
mace with the progress OF the times
Members Of the Kiwanis club were
entertained BY songs a NoCai
trio composed OF Misses Sqlid ana
NcDTa Dean and w. q ReitZ- IL
was their first public performance
rive were 10 sing again today De-
fore the san Benito Kiwanlans-