Evening star., 1934-01-15
DECISION Of ?. v. A.
ON CIVIL AIRPORT.
SEEN TOMORROW
Assistant Secretary of Labor
Will Submit Report to
Board.
BATTLE MAKES FINAL
CHECK ON VALUATION
House Military Committee Will
Begin Hearings on Military
Road Closing.

The fate of Washington's long-agi-
tated civil airport may be settled, In so
far as the Public Works Administra-
ton is concerned, before noon tomor-
row.
The report of Turner Battle Assist
ant Secretary of Labor and chairman
of the P. w. A. subcommittee on Fed
eral projects, on tine local airport stu
alton will be submitted to the Public
Works Board at a meeting tomorrow
morning. At the same time hearings
will begin before the House Military
Affairs Committee on the McSwain bill
to close Military road and establish a
public airport on the site of the pres
ent Washington Airport.
A final check is being made by Sec
retary Battle today on the real value
Of the Washington Airport property,
from the standpoint of its use for other
than airport purposes and in comparl-
son with other real estate in the vi
cinity.
Wants Data on Valuation.
II am not entirely satisfied with the
value that has been fixed on the prop
erty," Mr.. Battle said, land want lit
tie more information on this point to
submit to the board
Battle also expressed belief that the
Government should not purchase the
airport pool and one or two similar
concessions now operated at Washing
ton Airport, which are not connected
with the essential operations of an air
terminal
IT do not see why the Government
should go into the operation of a SWIM
ming pool and other concessions just
because they are at present connected
with the airport" he said.
There is some doubt as to the ability
Of the Public Works Administration to
70 into the local airport situation now
because of the approaching exhaustion
Of the So 300 .OOo, 900 public works funds,
it was pointed out. The board must
decide between the relative merits Of
number of pending projects, among
which the airport proposal must be in
cluded.
Two Courses Available.
Should the board decide that it Is un-
wise to put 81 100000 or more of its fast
dWindling fund into the local airport
project because of the greater merit OF
other pending projects. it was indi-
u,
lowed: The board may reject the plan
outright or it may report it to Congress
as a commendable project for which
public works funds are not available.
Should the board turn down the local
airport proposal. it was indicated an
nouncement of this action probably will
be made tomorrow. Should the. board
approve the plan. it is unlikely any
announcement will be made until the
proposal has been approved or rejected
by Secretary Ickes. PUBIC works ad-
minstrator, and the President.
It was pointed out that P. W. A.
could not with propriety announce the
approval of project which might later
be rejected by the President or Secre-
tary Ickes.
Military Affairs Committee: author OF
the airport bill which will be called
up for hearing tomorrow. has expressed
a desire that the hearing be confined
only to necessary testimony, in view
Of the elaborate hearings which have
been held in the past by various con-
gressional committees.
The list of witnesses. accordingly,
has been limited to representatives OF
the Department of Commerce aero
nautics branch. the airport, the Dis
tr1cC Army engineer ollice dlIu Ol4c
Quartermaster Generals Department OF
the Army.
Vidal May Appear.
Either Eugene L. Vidal. director of
eeronautics, Department of Commerce,
or Mai. j. Carroll Cone, representing
Vidal, will appear for the aeronautics
branch. Vidal has not yet returned
from Miami, where he attended the
All-American Air Races which closed
Saturday The Department of Com
merce will be called upon for expert
advice on the setting up of the local
airport.
Samuel Solomon. general manager OF
the Washington Airport and vice presi-
dent of the National Airport Corpora
ticn, which operates the field, Will ap-
pear for the airport
Mai. j. D. Arthur. jr.. Army engineer
= for the local district and Maj. Merrill
D. Wheeler, Quartermaster Generals
Department. also have been called. Maj.
Arthur probably will be questioned as to
estimates of cost of improving the air.
port, his office in the past having made
detailed studies of this phase of the
problem. Maj. Wheeler is expected to
testify on problems connected with
the closing of Military road and the use
of adjoining portions OF the Arlington
Experimental Farm. which is War De-
pertinent property. part of Arlington
National Cemetery, loaned to the De-
partment of Agriculture.
Efforts will be made to terminate the
hearings before the Military Affairs
Committee tomorrow, SO that the bill,
If approved by the committee, may be
reported to the House in time for early
consideration