Evening star., 1934-08-10
Complex Nature of
Aviation Problems
To u, Editor Of me star:

To The Editor Of The star:
read with interest about the
newly appointed aviation commission
headed by the able editor and pub
Usher. Clark Howell, to study aviation
problems and formulate a national
program to be submitted to Congress
at the next session. No doubt its in
vestigation will prove fruitful. even
though It is limited in time. How
ever. in the short period that it is
allowed this commission must not fall
into the same pits which have caused
the failure of other agencies that have
studied this same subject
Air navigation has assumed such
indispensable Importance in the field
OF transportation in the last decade
that any program which is to be prac-
! tical must be considered together with
/ the problems Of other transportation
agencies. II is part of the whole.
/ The airplane has been a growing COM
petitor not only to the railroads. but
/ to motor buSses also Its future prob
lens are interrelated with these two
methods OF transportation.
The unification Of railroad and bus
terminals has long been a subject of
debate There is no reason why the
unification Of air terminals with busses
and railroads should not be consid-
cred by this new commission. 1t is
a practical plan that is important not
only from the point of view of in
terest and convenience to the general
public. but from the standpoint of
financial interest Of the companies
concerned. The present system is not
only expensive to the various trans
porting agencies, but also detracts
from the quality of service offered.
Under a system of unifcatiOn all car
riers would have equal access to the
services and facilities available, there
By decreasing terminal costs.
Then there is the problem Of divi-
sion of regulatory authority At the
present time authority for regulation
is divided between the Post ONCE De-
partment, the Interstate Commerce
Commission and the Department of
Commerce Such a system can only
mean waste and confusion. Federal
expenditures also flow from three
sources. namely. from the Post Ohice
Department, the aeronautics branch
of the Department Of Commerce and
the Weather Bureau OF the Depart
ment of Agriculture. Such disunited
system should command the atten-
ton Of proper authorities designated
IN rt,tdu ouia tim pr0hlnmg
There is no doubt that air trans
portation should be regulated by one
body. The Interstate Commerce
Commission Is well qualified to un-
dertake such regulation. If full regu-
latory authority were given to this body,
authority would be concentrated into
an agency which comes into actual
contact with other transportation
problems and agencies. This would
eliminate much confusion and waste
and undoubtedly would decrease the
-perplexing problem of regulation.
For a practical plan of regulation of
air transportation authority must be
concentrated into one agency, pref
erably the Interstate Commerce
Commission.
Mention has not been made of mil
itary or naval aviation problems, but
the above suggestions should be con-
sidered by the aviation commission.
Other commissions that have failed
to accomplish their purpose did so
without considering the gravity of air
transportation as it Is related to other
transportation agencies.
DAVID AMATO,