Evening star., 1935-03-11
Subcommittee Members
View Benning Race Track
and Capital Area.
EXPRESS NO OPINIONS
ON PROPERTY MERITS
Meeting Planned Tomorrow tc
Finish Report to Full Dis
trict Committee.

In the face of objections by local
civic and governmental organizations
to the selection of site in Northeast
Washington for an airport for Wash
ington, members Of the House sub
committee in charge of the airport
matter today inspected the Benning
race track site and the nearby Capital
Airport area.
They we're informed the Benning
site could be purchased for an average
of about $4,000 an acre and that 202
acres now arc available, making cost
of 100000 for land.
Objections Viewed.
Members of the subcommittee who
made the inspection trip commented
on the proximity Of the nine high
brick chimneys Of the Potomac Elec-
trio Power Co. plant which were the
source of serious objections to the
selection OF the Benning site when it
was offered to a congressional COM
mittee several years ago for airport
purposes. They also commented on
the proximity of the new high-tension
wires Of the Pennsylvania Railroad
adjoining the property to the east.
Members of the subcommittee.
headed by Representative Jennings
Randolph of West Virginia, expressed
no opinion, however, as to the merits
of the properties inspected today or as
to the Likelihood of either Of them
being selected in preference to Gravelly
Point or Washington Airport.
I'VE promised to look at these sites"
Randolph said, "and We are keeping
our promise"
He indicated the subcommittee will
meet tomorrow morning to complete
consideration of the local airport prob
lem and to finish the drafting Of
report to the full District of Colum-
bia Committee. which is to receive
the report at its meeting Wednesday
morning.
Grayelly Point Urged.
Protest against the selection by the
subcommittee Of any site for local
airport other than Gravelly Point was
voiced in letter received by mem
bers of the subcommittee today from
Clarence A. Miller, chairman Of the
Aviation Committee of the Washington
Board of Trade.
II am quite certain" Miller said,
that 1 express the views of the Wash
ington business men and its organized
citizenry when say to you tnat If
YOU want to deprive the Capital City
of the United States Of an adequate
commercial airport, such as it should
have, you cannot more effectively do
so than by reporting a bill providing
for a site other than that Of Gravelly
Point. To take such action would
be to wholly disregard the views of
the taxpayers in the District Of Co
lumbia, vino, I am sure, will never
consent to the establishment Of an
airport at any backdoor site.
IF any consideration is being given
to the Benning racetrack site, OF to
any other equally undesirable sites, it
must be due to the influence Of 'eX-
pert opinion not expressed before
your committe in open hearings. Other
than those who had personal axes to
grind, practically all the witnesses be-
fore your committee favored the
Gravelly Point Site"
United Opposition Seen.
Miller expressed the opinion that
there will be united opposition to
any site which you may report other
than the Gravelly Point site"
II can assure you" he said, that
the people of the District of Columbia
are not going to be saddled with the
expense on an airport on location
they do not want, and if any proposal
such has been suggested is made. I
think you can be reasonably assured
that it will not meet with the approval
of Congress. 1t will be so contrary to
all the evidence which was presented
to your subcommittee as to amount to
a denial of justice to the taxpayers OF
the District of Columbia"
He expressed the hope that the sub
committee will report "a bill providing
for the establishment of an adequate
commercial airport for the District Of
Columbia at Gravelly Point"
The Benning race track area was not
offered to the subcommittee in public
hearings, but was submitted in brief
filed with the group at the close OF
more than three weeks of hearings.
Today'S inspection, twice postponed
because Of the heavy rain. was made
by Chairman Randolph and Repre-
sentatives Hull of Wisconsin and
Nichols of Oklahoma.
Informed the Benning site would
cost 100000 for land purchase, Hull
remarked. why, that would cost us
million dollars before We ever got
ready to put up building"
Still Open Minded.
Representative Nichols said mem
bers of the subcommittee still are
open-minded about the airport site"
I'VE are all agreed" he said. that
Washington needs an adequate air
port and needs one now."
Representative Smith of Virginia,
author of the Gravelly Point airport
bill now pending before the House
subcommittee. has expressed strong
opposition to the Benning site.
1T will be Gravelly Point or moth
ing" he said. "If they change the
site, feel sure the proposition will
be killed just as it has been in pre-
vious Congresses. Objections to other
sites are so serious that the matter
will be delayed too long for any bill
to pass this Congress"
Efforts are to be made by members
Of the subcommittee to have the air
port question brought up for consid-
Grafton by the full House District
Committee at Wednesdays session so
that a bill NAV be reported to the