Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-04
Aviation
BY JOSEPH S. EDdERToN.

~ Congress legislation for eStab.
"A lishment of a public-owned air.
4 a port for the National Capita
appears probable. Though the
Capitals airport status has been inn
proved tremendously by the building
program of the past year at Washing
ton-Hoover Airport, the problem has
not been solved for all time by any
means.
Those who established the present
air terminal field at the south end OF
Highway Bridge have made it possible
for the Capital to take its place on the
aeronautical map of the country. Un-
til that airport was put into suitable
condition by private capital, this city
had no air transport service. Today II
is one of the worlds best served cities
in this respect.
The new airport organization was
greatly strengthened by the recent OPP
Grating agreement reached between of
f1cials of Washington Airport and
Hoover Field, which has eliminated dis
astrous competition and made possible
real progress officials Of the fields
which still are physically separated by
Military road, are expected to seek from
the Government authorization to close
the roadway between the fields, and
thus improve the runway system, in
creasing the margin of safety and
making possible the use of all portions
of the two fields.
Completion of the Arlington Memorial
Bridge and the Mount Vernon Boule-
ward projects will make this portion of
the Military road unnecessary, and
even though the Military road we're to
be closed in advance of the completion
of these projects, traffic still could be
handled around the field area by way
of Columbia pike. airport officials con-
tend
Another safety measure sought by
airport officials is the removal of over
head wires along the United States
Route /, or the Washington Alexandra
road, adjoining the field. Whatever
steps may be needed to bring this desir-
able improvement about should be taken
with the least possible delay. The wires
and poles not only are potential source
of hazard but they will be a most I'M
slightly feature if permitted to stand
when the Federal program of improve
ment in that vicinity is completed.
Need for Public Ownership.
During the recent conference on uni
form State, county and municipal aero
nautical legislation, held in this city,
national experts presented information
pointing directly to the urgent necessity
for establishment of public-owned air
port for Washington.
There is grave danger, they pointed
out, that privately owned airports in
desirable locations close to the down.
town section Of the cities they serve may
be forced out of existence by increasing
land values and increasing taxes, which
make them more valuable for purposes
of subdivision than for operation as air.
ports.
At the same time sites near the city
which may be suitable for airport pur-
poses are being built up. The city which
relies entirely upon privately owned air.
ports thus may find itself in the en-
barrassing position in the not far dis
tant future not only of losing its pri-
vately owned landing fields but of hav-
ing lost all tbs sites which may be de-
veloped for airport purposes.
To those who-argue that Government
has no business going into the airport
field for transportation terminal pur-
poses it was pointed out by speakers
representing the various State govern
ments at the conference that modern
transportation Of every type is vital to
the life of any city. Government has
set aside lands for railroad rights of
way and terminals. Government has
provided, at its own expense, harborS
for ships and water-borne commerce.
Government has laid out great highway
systems Government has built canals.
AOAlAA Va transportation has DEGu
aided by Government, and air transpor-
tation can not be made an exception If
the public interests are to be. served. The
city which olscourages or which re-
fuses 70 encourage air transport develop
ment, they said, is going to suffer, re-
CARELESS Of what scoffers may say today
The fact that Washington Hoover
AIRPORT is serving the Capital splendid
~ today does not mean that there is
no longer aY1U Ylaad foy. afr,,rr% SIax,of1v,
ment. The men charged with the Capt.
taIs welfare have direct responsibility
In this respect which some cay must
be met. The greater the delay the more
olf1cult 1t is going to be to satisfy this
responsibility.
Multiple Airports Needed.
An argument in favor of more than
9 single airport for large cities may be
found in the preliminary report. lust
submitted, of Committee on Airport
Traffic Control organized by the aero
nauticS branch, Department Of Com
This committee points out that the
problems Of terminals are among the
most difhcult encountered by those en-
gagged in the development of TRANSPORT
tatlon by steamship. railroad and mo-
Cor Vehlcle. Though basic equipment
ana operations have been refined and
perfected. the terminals stiu bristle
with difficult and costly problems.
Wnich threaten to become more acute
rather than TO diminish.
AirportS are no exception to this
rule, the committee found. They form
the bottlenecks of air transportation"
the committee said. As time goes on
ana the aerial carrying of passengers.
mail and merchandise increases the
accurate control of air traffic on and in
Ihe vicinity OF airports will be a basic
necessity, 1t was stated in the report.
Time studies of airport traffic flow
mace by the committee in this country
ano abroad, indicate that one airport
Cannot safely handle much more than
20 alrplane movements per hour If
Jran1c could be distributed so that there
We're no more than IS arrivals and de-
partures per hour this rate could be
maintained throughout the % hours IF
the day. There are certain to he neal
Ioad periods, however, and even TO-DAY
curing such periods it is not unusual
Tor planes TO be kept in the air cjrclino
tle port Tor as much as Is minutes or
more peIore receiving the signal to
Iano. This, the committee declared. is
2 condltlon which is adding materially
70 transport operating costs, in addition
70 slowing up and restricting operations
Inc nnolngs of the COMMITTEES in
TINS respect seem 70 be evidence that
the city which fails to provide ade-
quate airport facilities to meet its fII-
ture needs is likely to be embarrassed
because of its oversight.
"Nypwac" Flies 1900.
During the first four months of on
Grafton between the National Capital
and New York. ending January /. the
New York, Philadelphia & Washington
Alrway Corporation has carried a total
OF 1862 passengers and its planes