Evening star., 1935-02-25
Present Conditions DepIora-
bile, CisIer Tells House
Subcommittee.
INCREASE IN PLANE
SCHEDULES ARE CITED
Present Site Can Be Made Accept.
able for $685., 900, New York
Adviser Says.

Declaring that conditions at wash
ington Airport are "deplorable,"
Stephen A. Cisler, general superin.
tendent of Railway and Airmail Serv-
ice, Post Office Department. today told
a House subcommittee that increased
airport facilities here are urgently
needed.
The Post Office Department Is con-
stantly increasing its airmail schedules
and the local airport is not sufficiently
large and is without sufficient facili-
ties to handle the growing traffic, Cis.
Ter testified
II feel it is most unfortunate WASH
ington has not better airport" he
said.
M. Donaldson, Deputy Second AS
sistant Postmaster General, told the
committee that the Post Office De-
partment, although interested in bet
ter airport facilities here, does not in
tend to express any opinion as to a
definite site for the airport.
Adviser Offers Plan.
Washington Airport can be made
into a model air terminal at q cost
of only $685., 1000 for improvement of
mittee was told by Daniel H. Reed,
airport adviser to the City of New
York, who has taken part in planning
so or more airports throughout the
country. Reed, who admitted he was
hired by Washington Airport officials
for the purpose, submitted detailed
estimates of cost for improvement of
the local field He said the work could
be completed within six months with,
out interruption to air transport oper.
alton.
His estimate included hydraulic fill
ing of the lagoon, S43 500; spreading
and rolling of the fill, $22 500; removal
Of Military road and construction Of
a substitute road connection to Co
lumbia pike. $4,000; construction Of
1900 feet of drainage culvert, $63, 900:
water lines, fire lines and sewers,
Sl2,350: drainage installations, includ-
ing $4,000 feet of tile, $4,000. and
paving of five runways, S189,650.
Reed told the committee sufficient
filling material can be obtained from
the new Interior Department excava-
ton to raise the level of the airport
to 10 feet. without cost to the Gov
ernment. He said if the jobs are car
r1ed on simultaneously, the contractor
will be willing to spread and roll the
NIL at the airport if relieved of the
cost OF finding dumping place for
the material.
Needs Varied.
c. r. Smith. president Of American
Airlines, told the committee that not
only is air transport business grow
ing rapidly in Washington, but that
different types of planes now being
used requires enlarged airport ia
cilities.
1T Is quite apparent to every one
in the industry that Washington
needs a better airport" Smith said.
The present airport is very well To-
Gated and it should be possible to
make a good terminal there without
great loss of time"
Testimony in favor of the Gravelly
Point site was being given by John
Nolen of the National Capital Park
and Planning Commission when the
committee adjourned. Nolen said
hazards existing around Washington
Airport and the impossibility Of con-
trolling construction of future hazards
had always influenced his commission
against the present airport.
Although the committee had hoped
to finish hearings today, a number of
last-minute witnesses applied for time
and two more days probably will be
required to complete the work of
hearing witnesses, which began three
weeks ago.