Evening star., 1932-11-29
UNITY ON Fy!uRE
OF AIRPORT SOUGHT
BY PLANNING BOARD
Bill Authorizing Lease Is
Chief Subject Listed at
Afternoon Meeting.
HOUSE MEMBER TO ASK
FOR EARLY HEARING
Probability of Developing Gravelly
Point Is Among Questions
to Be Taken Up.

The future of the Washington Airport
formed the subject CT a conference
being held this afternoon at the head
quarters of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission.
The kernel of the discussion was the
bill introduced in the last session of
Congress by Representative Mcmillan.
Democrat, OF South Carolina, to author
lie the Department of Commerce to
lease the Washington-Hoover Airport
Win the option OF purchasing and op-
Grafton by the departments aeronautics
branch.
The agenda for this afternoons pro-
gram called for thorough discussion
OF the whole situation and what can
De done about it-embracing the future
OF the Department of Agriculture's ex-
perlmental farm at Arlington, Va, the
problem OF eliminating Military road,
which now separates the two existing
airports; the probability of developing
Gravelly Point as an airport, and other
related questions. Two o'clock was set
as the hour for assembling.
Representative McMillan's Office said
ne proposes to ask the Committee on
Public Buildings and Grounds, before
which his measure is pending, for a
hearing on the bill as soon as Congress
assemblies.
Bingham Measure Pending.
A measure by Senator Bingham, Re-
publican, Of Connecticut is pending be-
fore the District Committee, but, while
the District Commissioners expressed
themselves as favorable to a municipal
airport, they presented letter from
the Bureau Of the Budget asserting that
expenditure Of funds for this purpose
at this time would be contrary to the
Presidents fiscal policy.
Charles w. Eliot, I'd, director of
planning Of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission. was ready to
tell this afternoons gathering that his
organization has always been in favor
OF Graveny Point as the location Of
Washington's airport, but that it has
thought combination of the Washing
tom Hoover Airport might be a tempo
rary solution OF the problem. In con-
Highway the Bureau Of Public Roads
Of the Department of Agriculture built
an underpasS to give access to the pro-
posed future airport at Gravelly Point.
Figures for estimates on the construc-
ton of Gravelly Point airport, as well
as for Improvement of the Washington
Hoover Airport. have been prepared by
the United States Engineer Office Mai.
Joseph D. Arthur, jr., District engineer
for the War Department for the wash
tngton area, who probably would aid In
constructing Gravelly Point as an air.
port by doing the hydraulic pipeline
dredging. by pumping up sand and
gravel from the adjacent bed of the
DfTfnr- to be IT
reality. was prepared to attend this aft
ernoon's session.
E. A Schmitt. engineer in Mai.
Arthur's office. will lay the estimates
before the gathering and explain them.
United Front Is Hoped.
Out Of this afternoons discussion. In
which a. variety of interest is particle
pating, the commission hopes to go be-
fore Congress with united front of al
lied interests and tell the National
Legislators exactly what the component
agencies desire for future civil air de-
velopment in the metropolitan region.
Invited to attend this afternoons
session were A. Pendleton Taliaferro, jr.,
representing the aeronauticS branch of
tne Department OF Commerce; a repre-
sentative Of Boiling Field and of the
Anacostia Naval Air Station, a repre-
sentative of the general staff of the
War Department, Maj Arthur and Mr..
Schmitt, representing the District En-
g1neer office; representatives of the Dis
trict government, Rear Admiral will
liam A. Moffett, chief of the Navy Bu-
reau Of Aeronautics: a representative
OF the Bureau of Flant Industry, De-
partment Of Agriculture, which SUPER
v1ses the Arlington Experimental Farm:
representatives of the Aviation Com
mlttees OF the Washington Board OF
lraqe and Washington Chamber Of
Commerce, Roy S. Braden, Arlington
County manager; Frank Russell. repre-
sentative of Federal Aviation Corpora
ton, owners of Washington Airport:
Lieut.. Col. U. S. Grant, Sd, director of
public buildings and public parks and
executive officer of the National Capital
Park and Planning Commission: Mr..
Eliot and Capt. E. N. Chisolm, jr., the
commissions engineer.