Evening star., 1933-07-16
HOOVER AIR FIELD
ON BLOCK JULY 81.
Holdings in Both Sections OF
Airport Will Be Sold
at Auction.

With the holdings Of Washington
Airport. Inc. in Washington Hoover
Airport scheduled to be sold at public
auction at noon tomorrow, it was an
Eounced last night that the other hall
of the airport, formerly known as
Hoover Field. also Will be auctloned OF.
ct 2:30 pm. July 81.
The Hoover Field property comprises
b acres. lying along the Arlington Ex-
detrimental Farms property. between
Military road and the Potomac River
1t contains two sheet metal hangers,
which are used for the storage OF Wis
iting airplanes: large airplane repair
shop and brick administration build
ing and pilots club.
The Washington Airport property in
rludes approximately 80 acres of land
the air terminal and administration
building. two hangers. one a large steel
and masonry structure: the airport
swimming pool and restaurant prop
erty and the land on which the United
States Weather Bureau Observatory
and Department Of Commerce remote
control radio and radio range station
are located.
Rumors Unconfirmed.
The sales Of the two halves Of the
airport will bring to close another
NildDtSl AL Slty D olOoOASA ohPois
history While representatives Of the
owners Of the two sections OF the air
port have privately expressed the be-
lief the properties will be continued
IN operation as an airport following
the sale, they have been unwilling to
say SO publicly.
Neither airport officials nor local
representatives of the two air trans
port lines using the local terminal Will
1,.,t n1rlFy
either singly or jointly. or in CO.
operation with other interests. will be
among the bidders for the properties.
Both sections Of the airport are con-
trolled by corporations having head
quarters outside the District OF Co
lumb!a-Washingto Airport by FED
eral Aviation Corporation, with head
quarters in New York, and Hoover by
international Airways Corporation. with
headquarters in New Jersey. Local air
port officials say they have been given
no information as to any offers for the
properties which may have been re-
ceived at the headquarters offices. or as
to the identity of prospective bidders.
Although the two sections of the air
port are separately owned. they are
operated as a unit under an operating
merger and also are interlocking
through the boards of trustees. The
sales OF both properties are pelnS
handled by H. RoZier Dulaney. jr., and
c. s. Taylor Burke. Alexandria banker.
members Of the boards Of trustees OF
both companies.
Taxes Eat Up Profits.
Sale Of the airport properties Is at
tributed to a long series of difficulties,
mainly attributable to the claim of the
Federal Government under terms Of the
District Of Columbia boundary act at the
time the Virginia section of the District
was seeded to the State to sections of
both properties reclaimed by the filling
OF the channel of former Roach's Run.
Because of the unsettled Federal
claim, which prevented the airport
owners from obtaining clear title and
because of their inability to get the
Federal Government to close the sec
ton of Military road which divides the
two properties, proper development of
the airport has been prevented, it is
claimed.
Although the airport is one Of the
busiest sir terminals in the world do
ing more business than any one of the
world-famous airports Of Berlin. Paris
or London, it has been unable to build
up the lucrative private flying business
and other phases Of air activity to q
point where they would help to carry
the heavy expenses. Taxes, paid to Ar
lington County on an assessment said to
approximate 1900 per acre, have eaten
up the airport profits and both fields
have operated under deficits for several
years.