Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-27
The Airport Bill.

The Airport Bill.
After hearing the objections of In
terested citizens. the Senate subcommit-
tee in charge of the airport legislation
has evidently decided that they do not
outweigh the merits of the proposal and
a favorable report on the Bingham bill
is expected.
The opposition was based, generally,
on two grounds. The first was that the
airport proposal involves an unneces-
sary and unjust expenditure OF the
taxpayers money and that the munich
pality does not need this airport. The
second was that the area proposed in
the legislation is too small and that
bridges and other structures offer
handicaps from the technical point of
view.
The question of relatively enters into
this first objection. 1t is contended,
and correctly so, that the District needs
other improvements than an airport
Recent discussions of the budget and
the financial condition of the Dis
trict indicate plainly that on the basis
of the present system of financing the
Capital there are no available revenues
in sight to pay for some of the prof.
ects that now are pressing. The remedy
for that condition, however, does not
lie in defeating the Bingham bill or
in defeating other proposed measures
for Capital Improvement The remedy
lies in a change from the present in
equitable system of Capital financing.
Realizing the necessity of such projects
as the airport, and examining the pres
ent financial structure Of the District
government, Congress will, in fairness to
the unrepresented taxpayers Of the
District, consider the necessity of a
change that will increase the arbitrary
amount now set aside annually in the
District appropriation bills.
OF course, the airport is q necessary
project. The next fve years will make
that apparent. Opponents Of the Bing-
ham bill have been in favor of an air.
port from the beginning. The relative
value of the site now under considera-
ton and the site at Gravelly Point Is
the issue that divides them. The Bing-
ham h'7l, providing for a contribution
OF l. from the Federal Government
and : !. a loan without interest from
the Federal Government by which the
District is to pay for its share, comforting
title to the United States but resting
jurisdiction and control of the airport
IN the hands Of the municipality, repre-
sents fair division of the costs.
It is commended in this connection
that the District is left at the mercy of
the Federal Government; that the Fed
eral Government is permitted full use
Of the facilities at the field at no cost
and that the Commissioners them.
selves. as administrative officers of the
Federal Government, represent the
United States more than the taxpayers
of the District. This is a condition that
Is not confined in its application to the
airport. Congress exercises exclusive
jurisdiction here Fairness to the Dis
trict is always dependent upon the
moral obligations assumed by its legisla-
tors; matter that will not be changed
until the District Is given representation
IN Congress.
As for the technical objections to the
field. the experts themselves seem to
be divided on that matter. Gravelly
Point, upon which there is apparently
universal agreement, has not been
abandoned. The site on the other side
of the river as defined In the Bingham
bill can be construed as the nucleus
for the great aeronautic development
that time will bring. When the air.
plane industry reaches the proportions
Of the automobile industry and planes
are as cheap as automobiles, the Dis
tricts airport as now proposed will be
too small. But it is well to get start
ed now, with an eye to future ex-
pansion.