Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-03-12
MUNICIPAL AIRPORT
PROJECT APPROVED
. BY BOARD OF TRADE
GraveIIy Point Site Is Held
Too Expensive by Joint
Commission.
So, 500, 900 TREASURY
LOAN is REQUESTED
Amount, Payable in Ten Annual
InstAllments of $3.50, 900, Would
Be Free of Interest.

The membership of the Washington
Board Of Trade, meeting last night in
the willard Hotel, set its ofticial seal
Of approval on previous preliminary
action indorsing the Joint Congress
sional Airport Commissions recommen-
dation for development Of municipal
flying field at the south end Of High
way bridge.
This was accomplished by the adop-
ton of report presented by Lawrence
z. williams, chairman Of the aviation
committee, in which he set out the rea-
sons that caused his group to back
the compromise location proposed by
the commission under leadership Of
Senator Hiram Bingham instead Of the
GrAvelly Point site.
Three years ago, Mr.. williams de-
clared, the aviation committee COM
menced working for municipal air.
port. After q careful study of sites,
Gravelly Point was recommended and
the entire board.
GraVelly Point Delay Protested.
"Since that time, a Joint Congress
sional Airport Commission was appoint
ed to study the needs Of the District
Of Columbia and draw up appropriate
legislation" he declared.
1.-THE commission went about its work
carefully. All phases of the problem
were carefully considered but no re-
port was made. In order to bring the
matter to a head, a rather strong letter
was sent to the Joint Airport Commits
sion protesting the delay in the de-
velopment of the Gravelly Point project.
THE response to the letter clearly
indicated that the commission had rem
dred no report because 1t felt that
Gravelly Point would be too expensive
and take too long to develop, and it
did not care to mention other sites in
the face of the united front put up by
the local organizations. In other words,
we were hopeleSsly deadlocked. We
could get no municipal airport except
through Congress, and any airport
measure affecting the District Of Co
lumbia would be referred to the Joint
Congressional Airport Commission for
its approval. In the face of this con-
dition it became clearly evident that to
hold out longer would defeat the very
purpose for which your committee was
created-that Is, obtain a municipal air.
port for Washington. We realized that
If we had continued to insist on Gravel
~ Point or nothing we would have OBJ
tanned nothing.
Therefore, the problem presented
was to effect the best compromise pos
sible for the District of Columbia. The
one point which your committee insisted
upon was that the airport must be
close to the business center of the city.
The results are shown In the report of
the Joint Commission.
The report asks, first, for the con-
struction of an airport for Washington
Memorial Bridges. Washington Air
port, Inc, and Hoover Field, together
comprising 140 acres, are to be pur-
chased. The Federal Government will
match by donation acre for acre the
land to be purchased. This 40 acres
is composed of the present Military road,
which Is to be removed and rerouted {;
that section Of the Department Of Agri-
cultures Experimental Farm which
lies north Of the railroad tracks and the
southern half of Columbia Island Lit
tie River Is TO be filled In between CO.
lumbia Island and the old amusement
property. Second. loan from the
Treasury to the District Of Columbia
Of $4,000, 900 is asked for. This is to
be paid In 10 annual installments of
$3.50 900 and to be free from interest
charges. And third, that Gravelly Point
be gradually Allied 20 that 1t will be
available when needed.
Taking these three phases Of the re-
port up In their order, that Is. location,
payment and effect on Gravelly Point,
we find:
Site Closer to City.
THAT the site is one mile closer to
the business center than Gravelly Point
and that a. iC large AnnN0h IN gaFVP the
needs Of an air terminal for number
of years to come, and that 1t may be
used as soon as the necessary legtsla-
ton has been passed.
"As to the manner of payment and
the adjustment Of expense between the
District and Federal Governments, the
District L. very fortunate. For some
time It has been evident that the appro-
priations committee Of the House would
not contribute toward this project more
than $500, 900 for the purchase OF OPP
tions. Since this was all that could be
expected. your committee did not want
it wasted on options. Instead OF getting
$500 900 we obtain 10-year loan on which
we are saving $36O,O0O in interest plus
ilO acres of land which, II we had to
buy it. would be very expensive. The
cSHt of the airport must Of necessity be
suread over q term of years. 1t is bound
to be too great to put in any one years
budget. The amount need, or $780,
600, will not only buy the necessary
land but also provide the necessary
e0IIipn1ent and improvements. When
carefully analysed, the airport project
comes nearer to O 60-40 division OF cost
than any District Of Columbia improve
ment in several years. Oakland. carr,
has demonstrated that munlclpai ar
port can be operated at real pront LOT
FI1a oItry TInAer the So-called Bingham
plan, all profits would go into the
| Treasury and be credited against the
loan to the District.
"Regarding the effect on the ultimate
DEVELOPMENT of Gravelly Point, we nnc
that when developed slowly over
period Of years, 1t will cost very little
II developed l1urriedly. 1t will be verJ
expensive. Gravelly Point already be-
longs to the Government. No one else
can get 1t. Normal river dredgingS
the ash disposal Of the District OF Co
lumbia and the excavations from tn'
public building program Will all MAKE
1t grow. When the traf1lc outgrows the
Highway Bridge site, we can still have
Gravelly Point. If we developed Grav'
ely Point flrst and then outgrew 1t
we could only get the Highway Bridge
tract at q greatly increased cost"
Transportation Issue Discussed.
Following disposition of the airpor
question. the meeting was devoted t.
the subject Of transportation. Thu
speakers were Elisha Lee, executive
vice president Of the Pennsylvania
Railroad; John J. Esch, former chair
man Of the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, and John Hanna, president o.
the Capital Traction Co.
Mr.. Lee forecast, on the basis Of |