Evening star., 1934-03-08
The New Airmail Policy,

AC 4NCw AL HAL Z OllCy.
Criticism of the administrator
sudden cancellation of all contracts
for carrying the domestic airmail was
based on the fact that this penalty,
or punishment, was meted out without
trial Of the individuals accused by in
ference-but never singled out or
named-of collusion and fraud.
The companies thus punished have
been denied access to the courts, and
as there has been no attempt to dis
criminate between any which were
guilty and any which were innocent,
all have come under the ban and in
the public eye are tarred by the same
brush.
There is extraordinary significance,
therefore, in that part of the Presi-
dents letter to the chairmen of the
House and Senate Post ONCE Com
mittees which declares:
Obviously also no contract should
be made with any companies. old or
new, any of whose officers were party
to the obtaining of former contracts
under circumstances which were
clearly contrary to good faith and
public policy.
That apparently means, or should
mean, that the officers who were
party to such tactics will now be
singled out and named Otherwise,
all officers of all domestic airmail
carriers are automatically blacklisted.
The intent, of course, is to bring
about q wholesale and complete re-
organization Of the airmail carriers,
making such reorganization prin-
cipal requirement for future contrac-
tual relations with the Government.
That may be desirable end, though
it has not been definitely established
that it is. But it fails to justify the
means of publicly indicting. convicting
and penalizing men without the op-
portunity for defense in court which
is one Of the established rights Of
individuals. Any man guilty Of fraud
and collusion in obtaining Govern
ment contract should go to Jail. The
contracts were Cancelled, 1t was an
nounced at the time, on the grounds OF
collusion. Future contracts with the
Government, however, are now denied
to those companies any Of whose OH
GERS were party to obtaining former
contracts under circumstances which
were clearly contrary to good faith
and public policy" It is manifest
that the determination Of the exist
ence of such circumstances is more
apt to depend upon the point of view
of individuals than upon the judg-
ment Of court of law.
It Is to be hoped the President will
be justified in his belief that enact
ment of legislation he outlines will
establish a sound, stable and per-
manent airmail policy" and that it
will relieve "air transport companies
from paralyzing monopolistic control
which has heretofore often Influenced
them to buy planes and other equip
ment from associates and individuals"
What is known generally as big
business" has had an interested hand
in the development of airlines as they
were up to the cancellation Of their
contracts for carrying the air mail.
These have commonly been regarded
as the most efficient in the world.
In the process of development there
has doubtless been greed, shady work
by some individuals in and out of
Washington, and lot of Government
money for carrying the mails has
gone into the payment of excessive
salaries and expense accounts. 1t is
now to be demonstrated whether the
administration, in handing out this
new deal on development Of CONNER
cial aviation. will accomplish more
than would have been accomplished
by ending the abuses under the old
system, but saving the best parts OF
that old system.