Evening star., 1934-04-23
[. v. A. REQUESTED
TO FINISH WORK
0NC.W.A.A|RPORTS
Landing Fields in Som e
Cities Left in Unsafe
Condition.
CONSTRUCTION HELD UP
AS PROGRAM ENDS
Number Of Needed Areas Closed
for Repairs May Be Re.
opened Soon.

Efforts to work out an emergency
program for completion of 1000
Civil Works Administration airports
throughout the country, many OF
which were left in dangerous condi-
ton by abandonment of the civil
works projects, are being made today
by officials of the Department of
Commerce and the Emergency Works
Administration.
In many States, 1t was learned, con-
struction was stopped when civil works
funds ran out, leaving already active
airports In an unsafe, and in some
cases unusuable, condition.
In one case cited today. New York
town, which had leased a tract of
land for airport purposes for five
years. was left with the tract on its
hands in an unusable condition, work
having been stopped in the midst Of
subsurface drainage.
Conditions Worse.
In many cases, according to word
received here. conditions at civil works
airports are worse than when con-
struction work started. A number of
formerly active airports have Been
closed temporarily and cannot be used
until projects started by the Civil
Works Administration have been taken
over by the town or by the Emer-
gency Works Administration.
There are 1,00l civil works airport
projects in process of construction IN
various parts of the country, 457 Of
them at established airports, accord
ing to reports received at the Depart
ment Of Commerce.
Work on all these projects has been
interrupted by the transfer of the
emergency program from the Civil
Works Administration to the new
emergency works group. In some cases
the projects probably will be aban-
doned, although Department of Com
merce officials were hopeful today of
working out program for completion
OF construction at most of the fields
Efforts will be made to expedite
completion with emergency works
funds of work at the 457 established
airports. The remaining fields will be
turned over to the emergency works
group in the order of their impor.
tance. It was indicated.
Work Held Up.
Construction projects at some of the
airports have been held up because of
limitations on the amount available
for materials under the emergency
works program.
Under the civil works program field
administrators were permitted to
spend as much as IS per cent for tools
and materials, and rs per cent for
labor. Many of the airports were be-
ing improved on this basis, obligations
having been made for purchase of
drainage tile and materials. Under
the emergency works program expend-
itures for material have been greatly
reduced, in some cases to as low as
4 and per cent. In cases where drain
age projects, involving use Of tile and
other materials were in progress, work
was halted completely by the emer-
gency works limitation, 1t was ex-
planned.
Department of Commerce officials
in charge of the airport program have
asked the emergency works group for
a special ruling increasing the amount
for materials where necessary to per-
NIT the completion of airports.
Airports officials were hopeful that
most of the construction programs
could be completed out of emergency
works funds.