Evening star., 1934-01-25

American flag from the seas. Since the
dawn of human history, man has
longed for the time when he could defy
the laws of gravitation and open up
highways through the air. When
Wright made his first flight from the
sandy slopes of Kitty Hawk in North
Carolina the world gasped with JOY
with pride and admiration. At last the
dream of countless centuries had been
realized and man might now begin the
onward march toward this new and
rapid method of transportation. When
the dauntless and intrepid Lindbergh
made his daring flight across the At
lantic, the people knew that aviation
was beyond its days of cropping expert
mentation. In the glorious exaltation
Of the spirit of triumph over laws that
had long kept men confined to earth
every man. woman and child was ready
and anxious to contribute another dime
and dollar to the tax bill to hasten the
day when the full benefits Of this great
invention might be extended to every
city and hamlet in America.
Scramble fer Subsidies.
Men who had flown over the battle
fields Of France pioneered in the avia-
ton industry. Returning home with
the spirit Of flying controlling their
thoughts and hopes, it was but q
natural step for them to advance from
the old transforming days to regular
passenger air traffic. Realizing the
value of this new development in time
of peace and war, the people were
anxious to foster it. Legislation to aid
this new industry was quickly passed
and provided for the payment of
fo, 80 I,xya ~
planes. 1t was at this stage that the
money changers saw their golden op-
portunity. Interested, as always, In
exploitation of the invention and
genius and efforts Of some one else
alluring advertisements Of prospective
gains fascinated the gaze Of millions.
A wild scramble for the fruits Of gov
ernmental subsidies began. AS usual.
the weak fell before the strong. The
original aviation enthusiast, gazing out
of his plane along the trail he had pio-
neered. had neither time. opportunity
nor money to visit Washington and sit
among the money changers as they d.
vided. up the airmail map, nor did his
efforts to protect his interests meet with
success. Before long. he found his line
taken away from him. He could sell
out for the price he could get. or he
could see his cherished line gradually
die from subsidized competition. When
1t was found that the eighteen or more
million dollars Of taxpayers money an
nually paid for the carriage OF airmail
was controlled more than 80 per cent
by four companies.
At the directors tables there sat. not
the pioneer air pilots, but the masters
of American finance. The control Of
aviation had been ruthlessly taken away
from men who could fly and bestowed
upon bankers. brokers, promoters and
politicians, sitting in their inner Offices
allotting among themselves the tax
payers money. Again fortunes were
made overnight. Forty dollars invested
in an airplane engine company went
upward to subsidized aviation COM
pany, and in approximately two years
gave to the $40 investor a value of
Sc 100000
Two hundred and seven dollars made
another man worth $25,000,000.
TWO thousand five hundred and thirty
dollars made another man worth $685.
100000.
Little Competitive Bidding.
In awarding the contracts for both
ocean and airnail, there has been prac-
tlcally no competitive Dlddlng except IN
name only. Low bids have been de-
MED and high bids accepted. The peo-
pies money in airmail contracts has
largely gone for high salaries, huge
bonuses, wasteful and extravagant
management, and to enrich favored
few. Government subsidies always
have and always will tempt the greedy:
They always have and always will lead
to corruption. The energy of ocean
and airmail operators has been spent
more in seeking Government money
than in operating ships and airplanes.
Easy Government money stiles genius,
paralyzes business effort and removes
the incentive for frugal and efficient
business management. Any business
man is more likely to SOuander the