Evening star., 1933-08-15
ECONOMIES IN AIR
NAVIGATION ARE HIT
Aviation Leaders Confer
Here to Protest Proposed
Federal Plan.

Belief that the Federal Government,
in an effort to save "paltry" sums In
the operation Of Government aids to
air navigation, will endanger the lives
of passengers and pilots on the Ma
tion's air transport lines were expressed
by civil aviation leaders at the most
important aviation conference Of the
new administration tod&y in the De-
partment Of Commerce.
The proposed economy program as
applied to maintenance of Federal air.
ways was criticized by two former
members of the aviation cabinet" "
William P. McCracken, jr., former as
sistant secretary of commerce for aero
nautics, and Col Paul Henderson, for
mer second assistant postmaster gen.
eral. in charge Of air mail.
Believed Cause of Accident.
COL Henderson said that the fate Of
an airplane pilot on the Pacific Coast,
who was lost several days ago and Is
still missing. probably is due to the
turning out of lights on the Federal
geles while he was in the air.
We must not run the risk of ex-
posing the lives of airline passengers
and pilots to unnecessary hazards mere
~ for the saving of few thousand
dollars a year in payments for electric
current" Col Henderson said.
Mr.. McCracken declared that he does
not believe the Federal Government is
practicing sound economy lin retard-
ing the development of our air trans
port industry for the saving OF sum
which will not exceed s2,5o0 900 year
The entire savings which can be
effected by the application of proposed
economy measures to the Federal aids
could not compensate Sor the .cs. OF
a single transport plane and its pas
sengers and crew"
Attended by zoo.
Today's conference. one of the largest
in the history Of the Department OF
Commerce aeronautics branch, was at
tended by approximately 200 repre-
sentatives of air transport lines, trans
port and private pilot organizations and
other aeronautical bodies from all parts
Of the country. Representatives OF the
Post ONCE Department and the Army
ana navy air services also were pTcStIlL
The conference was opened by Secre-
tary Of Commerce Roper, who told the
air transport leaders that the Federal
budget must be balanced and that every
service which is benefited by the Gov
eminent must shoulder its proportion
Of the necessary reductions.
Ths economies affecting civil aero
nautics appropriation must become ef-
fective not later than September is, the
operators were warned.
Economy Declared Applied.
The most rigid economy has been
applied to air regulations activities and
the savings applied to the operation OF
aids on the Federal airways, the opera
tors were told by Eugene Vidal, as
sistant director in charge Of air regu-
lations
These expenditures have been reduced
to half the amount provided yea.
ago.
A proposed economy program call
ing for discontinuance of 73 intermedi-
ate landing fields, laying up for air
planes, discontinuance of communi-
cations facilities and airways beacons
on hundreds of miles of airways, and
the elimination Of many teletype cir
cults on the airways was outlined by
Rex Martin. assistant director for air
ways as basis for action by the all
transport representatives.