Evening star., 1933-02-02
The Senate in a Tailspin.

The SenateS maneuVeT Will tiic OIL
mail subsidy might appear, to the OBJ
sarver who stands with his feet on the
ground, as if the ship had got out OF
control and gone into crazy taispin
that cannot be stopped short OF crash.
For the principle on which the alrmall
subsidy of $19,0O0000 was cut from
the Post Office bill yesterday and thrown
out, bag and baggage, was the principle
of economy. The Senate was told that
the airmail subsidy is luxury that the
people cannot afford to maintain IN
times Of economic distress. The propo-
sition was either to practice economy,
by eliminating the airmail subsidy. or
Quit talking about economy.
So after spending more than hun
dred million dollars on airmall SUD-
sidies and carefully pursuing q definite
policy of commercial aviation develop
ment that has led to the establishment
Of 26,745 miles of airmail routes, exten-
sive passenger service, formation OF ar
mail companies, construction OF count
less airports, building and maintenance
of thousands of miles Of lighted ar
ways and intermediate landing fields
at Government expense, the Senate. In
q couple of hours debate, decides to
erase airmail flying from the face OF
the map ostensibly because OF the dis
covery that the airman does not pay
for itself.
In the same appropriation bill there
IL a recommended appropriation OF
hundred million dollars for railroad
mail service. Railroad mail service does
not pay for itself. Is railroad mail
service also to go the same way9
Obviously not, and the intricate ma
neuvering of the Senate on the airmail
item must be explained on grounds
other than economy. If the Senate
has gone into a tanspin it did SO de-
uberately for tactical purposes. It was
not the result of an accident.
The. Senate, while abandoning the
sirmail because of economy. knows that
II the item is not restored in conference
with the House there will remain plenty
of time for the special session OF Con-
gress to deal with and appropriate for
the airmail between April and the end
of the fiscal year. The appropriation
will in all probability be restored. but
not until the incoming administration
has been given the opportunity to over
haul the whole service according to its
own conception OF what the airmall
service should be.
This conception is apparently hazy
1ust now. Senator Tydings is the author
of an amendment which cut three mil
lion dollars from the airmail subsidy
q few minutes before the Senate elm
mated the subsidy altogether. Senator
McKellar wanted to reduce the subsidy
by half. Several members Of the House.
and other Senators, have been in favor
Of drastic reductions. Senator-elect NC
Adoo is intensely interested in the air.
mail business and is supposed to be pre-
pairing to blow the lid of something
when he takes his seat. The House
Post Office Committee has made some
progress on a long deferred investiga-
ton of the airmail, including the policy
of letting contracts as followed by Post
master General Brown.
Economy, apparently, has relatively
little to do with the Senate action on
airnlail subsidies. The Senate has mere
ly bundled up another problem and de-
posted it at the White House, with in
structions that it is not to be opened
until President-elect Roosevelt gets there.
The President-elect is going to be very
busy opening such bundles between
April and the first of next July.