Evening star., 1934-01-18
ARGUMENTS GIVEN
ON TWO S|TESFOR
DISTRICT AIRPORT
oraveIIy Point and ChiI|um
Locations Advocated to
House Group. esk
COUNTY HITS PURCHASE
OF WASHINGTON FIELD
Arlington Delegation Fears New
Loss of Tax Revenue-Smith
Voices Viewpoint.

Arguments for establishment of a
Government airport for Washington at
Gravelly Point and on site at Chillum
Nd, featured today's hearings before
the House Military Committee on the
McSwain bill to establish an airport on
the Washington Airport site.
A delegation from Arlington County,
headed by Representative Smith of Vir-
ginia, appeared in behalf of the Grav-
ely Point site and to protest the Gov
ernment purchase of Washington Air
port because of the loss Of revenues
10 Arlington County.
Former Representative Johnson of
South Dakota led a delegation appear
ing in behalf of the Chillum site, de-
scribed as being half mile from the
District line, beyond Catholic Univer-
Eity.
Gravelly Point site is far superior to
that at Washington Airport. 1t is
larger, less apt to construction of un-
desirable obstacles in the vicinity,
cheaper, and will be available to all
types of aircraft, including airships and
seaplanes, which could not be accom-
naodated at the other field. he said.
Arlington Is Interested.
He declared that nearly $4,000, 900
would be required to prepare 204 acres
at washington Airport, while 266-
acre field could be established at
Gravelly Point for s2,300,000.
Arlington County is interested in
This matter in a very material way,
Smith said Military road is an i'm
portant thoroughfare and should not
Be closed unless an adequate substitute
Is furnished. Purchase of Washington
Airport by the Government would with
draw valuable taxable property that the
county i'll can afford to lose"
Harry A. Fellows of the Arlington
County Board, was the only other wit
ness called on behalf of the county, al
though a large delegation of board
members and county residents at
tended.
every time you take an acre of Ar
lfngton County taxable property for
Federal use, you hurt us materially, and
to take 200 acres at one time would
strike at our very vitals," Fellows told
the committee.
Fellows declared that the county lost
taxable property worth 1897 900 due TO
the Mount Vernon Boulevard project
and actually suffered tax loss OF
$685. on this item alone last year.
U. S. Contribution Asked.
"If you take the airport. we will lose
IA acres assessed at 1892 ,480, on which
the present tax is S7,3l4 a year." Eel
lows said. Arlington County is one
Of the smallest in the United States and
covers only "a square miles. The Fed
eral Government today owns 22.71 per
cent of the taxable land of the county.
Il the airport is purchased, the Govern
nnent will own 25.7l per cent Of our
land. Arlington County has lost most
of its Potomac River waterfront and
probably will lose all of it if present
Federal park projects are carried out." !"
Fellows suggested that in justice to
Arlington County, the Federal Govern
ment should make an annual cash con-
tribution as it does to the District of
Columbia to make up for loss of reve-
nueS due to Federal activities. He ac-
cused the Government "by indirection,
Of taking over Arlington County; a
thing which could not be done directly
without vigorous opposition by citizens
OF the county" He said that the
county has no objection to the use of
Washington Airport as an airport, but
objects only to the loss of revenue.
Fellows was sharply questioned by
number of committee members at va
rious points in his testimony. Chair
man McSwain accused Arlington
County residents Of wanting your pud-
ding and eating II too."
You want to have the Federal Gov
ernment improve your county, but you
don't want to help bear any of the bur
den," he said.
ChiIlum Site Available.
Other members of the committee OBJ
served that any county in their dis
trict would be eager to have the
Federal Government build an airport
and would provide free land for the
purpose If the opportunity offered.
Former Representative Johnson told
the committee that any amount of land
up to 14OO acres, 1,073 of which is
level enough for airport purposes, is
available on the Chillum site at cost
ranging from $1,260 to $3.50 per acre.
This land is now owned by 10 or 20
different persons, mostly farmers, but
options have been acquired on prac-
tically all of the area by two of the
owners, he said.
Johnson stressed the value Of the
Chillum property for military purposes
In event of war and said it would be
fully as desirable as any other location
tor civil air terminal purposes.