Evening star., 1933-03-05

AtEa 6DOuku tklC ~ PCA SS&it AC&AA@-
ton will mean curtailment and hard
ship, however, airmail contractors as o
whole are relieved that the blow was
not more severe. When the Senate
voted TO strike out the entire $l9,00c,-
900 appropriated by the House for do.
mestic airmail it was feared that the
compromise amount finally agreed upon
might be 50 low as to cripple the entire
aviation industry.
It Is regarded aS certain that drastic
changes In the airman policy OF the
Government will be made by Congress
during the early part Of the coming
administration. The most important
study of the airmail situation yet car
rted to Q conclusion by any congressional
body has been completed by the House
Committee on Post Offices and Post
Roads, with the cooperation of Prof.
John B. Crane Of Harvard University.
The result has been the introduction
by Representative Clyde Kelly of Penn
syivania, father of the airmail," of q
new bill providing for sweeping changes
in the airmail set-up. It is anticipated
coming special session Of Congress and
that powerful efforts will be made to
bring about its passage.
In its report the committee found
that some curb on the rate-madng
powers Of the Postmaster General II
highly desirable"
"A plan based upon accepted rate
making principles, and as free as pos
sible from political influences, Is abs0-
lutely essential II the administration OF
the airmail system Is to be placed on q
business basis" the committee reported
The committee found that the airmail
administrative machinery under the
WatreS act has failed to perform its
function Of carrying out the provisions
Of airman legislation in an efncient
and bustnesslike manner" and de-
clared that there Is required IAN equi-
table ALLEGATION Of the airmail appro-
pfiAtions among the different airmail
contractors" It was found that the
present administrative system Is such
that no one individual possesses the
necessary broad and detailed knowledge
necessary for equitable payments to the
contractors.
A comprehensive audit Of the ac-
counts of the companies holding air
mail contracts was found to be es-
sential for determination Of true costs
! OF operation and ALLEGATION of the ap-
preparations. The Kelly bill provides
| for meeting this need by setting up a
system OF auditing.
1t was the opinion Of members OF
the committee that only about so per
cent Of the total airmail appropria-
tiuns under the present system repre-
sent a subsidy" If this term Is de-
fined as being the difference between
the amount paid for carrying the mail
and the amount Of receipts from air
mail postage.
Though the air transport industry Is
young, the committee found that its
intercorporate relationships have rap
idly assumed q degree Of complextty
| which would do credit to long -estab-
lished industries. such as the utilities
and the railroads" It found that q,
present SO per cent Of the entire air
| mail system is controlled by holding
| companies, some of which. In turn, are
controlled by Superholding companies
There was found to be . necessity for
! Government control over holding CON-
panies because of the necessity for ef.
fective control Of the operating COM
panies and to obviate the dangers OF q
monopoly. Abuses already have sprung
up In the airmau field through the
holding company system. 1t was As.
| serted. Specific legislation will be re.
/ quired to bring about the degree Of
! control necessary.
The committee found that the air.
| mail service has been . vital factor ir
| building the aviation industry in tht
| United States, but that the subsidy
principle has been increasing until II
| has gone further than was originally
intended" The service, the committed
said, can and should be put on q self
sustaining basis.
ut Is the belief Of your committee,
! 1t Is stated In the report, that q com.
plete change in the method Of pay.
ments to contractors must be made ir
the interests Of justice and economy
Whatever Justification there may be fol
large subsidy as a means Of establish.
| ing the new aviation industry. 1t Il
time now to look forward to the ces'
sation Of such payments and the es.
| tabliShment of the airmau service on
self sustaining basis. This should not
be done suddenly or drastically, but we
believe that constructive action can bt
taken which will guarantee the desired
results"
Pilots Gain High Ratings.
More than 400 air transport pilots ir
the United States have obtained the
| new scheduled air transport ratings o,
the Department of Commerce, which to-
day rank as the highest pilot ratings ir
the world and which certify that the
pilots 50 rated not only have the full
transport licenses, but In addition are
thoroughly trained and able to ny blind
by instrument and radio.
| To obtain the new ratings, which be-
came mandatory January and which
must be held by pilots before they car
| fly passengers in scheduled interstate
service, the pilot must demonstrate his
actual ability to fly blind In q hooded
cockpit through q long series Of ma
neuvers. He must pass written exsmi-
! nations In the use Of radio and other
aids to air navigation and weather
analysis and forecasting.
The list Of 423 pilots so far qualified
/ does not include the whole number OF
operating airline pilots, since pilots
flying with mail only, those flying as
co-pilots and pilots operating on Ameri.
| can atrlineS outside the Continental
United States are not required to have
J the ratings. The scheduled air trans
port ratings have been postponed tempo
rarily for some 20 pilots flying on air
/ ways not yet equipped with Department
Of Commerce radio range beacons
There are now 725 airline pilots in the
. United States.
/ The National Capital and its imme-
diate vicinity has strong representation
In the select 400" of aviation. Pilots
obtaining these ratings who live IN or
near Washington or who operate
through the Capital regularly include
Henry ]. Brown, Pennsylvania Arlines;
Charles w. Carneal. Pennsylvania Air
lines: George G. Hand, Washington
Hoover Airport: Thomas B. Hoy. Lud-
/ tngton division, Eastern Air Transport;
William l.. Jameson, Eastern Air