Evening star., 1935-04-24
D. C. Group Will Report Bill
Ordering Board to Make
Selection.
ALL AMENDMENT
EFFORTS Rejected
Representative Smith of Virginia
Pleads Against Condemnation
of Proposed Airport.

After a controversial. tWo-hour ses-
sion behind closed doors. the House
District Committee today unanimously
supported its Airport Subcommittee
in its condemnation Of the Graveiiy
Point airport site and voted unani-
mousiy to report to the House the
subcommittee bill authorizing az
pointment of a commission to select
an airport site for Washington.
The full committee refused to amend
its subcommittee bill in any par
ticular in spite of a 45-minute plea
by Representative Smith of Virginia
that the committee indorse the Grav-
ely Point site.
The committee even refused a re-
quest of its chairman, Representative
Norton of New Jersey, that the mem
bership of the proposed commission
be increased from seven to nine, TO
include representatives of the Ma
tional Capital Park and Planning
Commission and the Washington
Board of Trade.
To BE Reported Soon.
The subcommittee bill, adopted as
a substitute for the Smith-G -Gravelly
Point measure, will be reported to the
House at once and will be on the
calendar for consideration on the next
District day.
Representative Smith, it is under
stood. made savage attack on the
subcommittee report, which he con-
tended is based upon conclusions
which were not supported by testi-
mony before the subcommittee. Smith
asked the full committee to report
out second Gravelly Point bill which
he introduced after the subcommittee
had acted adversely on his first bill
Representative Norton, at the con-
clusion of the executive session, re-
fused to make any announcement as
to the action of the full committee or
the airport matter, referring all in
quiries to Representative Jennings
Randolph of West Virginia, chairman
Of the subcommittee in charge.
Today's action was the culmina-
ton of more than two months of ex-
haustive hearings and field inspection
trips by members of the subcom-
mittee
The airport bill as reported to the
House provides for creation of COM
mission of seven members to select
an airport site and for second com
mission of three members to establish
and maintain an airport on the sitt
so selected.
BY its condemnation of the GrayellS
Point site it is considered in aviation
circles, that the committee has or
dered the commission to ignore this
site in making its selection. Mem.
bers of the subcommittee. including
Chairman Randolph, however. declare
that they have not closed the Gravelly
Point site to consideration, but hac
merely voiced their opinion that the
site is not suitable.
GravelIy Point Favored.
The Aero Club of Washington
chapter of the National Aeronautic
Association, at a meeting last night
again went on record in favor of the
Gravelly Point site for permanent
airport.
In notifying Chairman Norton OF
its action, the club, through its presi-
dent, Chester H. Warrington, asked
that the House District Committee
give full consideration to the new
Smith bill providing for establish
ment of an airport at Gravelly Point
The club listed the following argu-
ments In support of the Gravelly
Point site: 1t is the largest available
area in or near the District, 1t offers
facilities for seaplanes, its cost pei
acre is less than any other practical
site, it has unobStructed approaches
and allows for runways of 1000 feet
and it affords opportunity for unlim-
tied expansion.