Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-08-20
VIDAL QUALITIES
AIRPORT PERMIT
Bill for New Site Virtually
Dead, Terminal Continues
ION Sufferance."

Bureau Of Air Commerce officials,
although refusing to give Washington
Airport a clean bill Of health as
safe transport terminal, will permit
operations to continue there ION suf-
ferance" following Senate action yes
terday, which virtually put an end to
any hope for solution Of the airport
problem this year.
Just before leaving for California,
Eugene L. Vidal, director of air COM
merce, said today his bureau is plan
ming no immediate action on the air
port matter beyond seeing that every
possible safety precaution is observed
to overcome the dangerous shortcom-
ings Of the field.
Vidal will attend the funerals Of
Will Rogers and Wiley Post and will
question Joe Crosson, veteran Alaskan
transport pilot, who few the bodies
back to the United States. as to the
probable cause Of the crash in which
the two men died Murray Hall, Com
merce Department aviation inspector
in Alaska, has been unable to reach
the scene of the crash to begin his
official investigation because of dan
gerous weather conditions, Vidal said.
Conditions to Be Watched.
The Federal air commerce chief said
that so long as the transport pilots
operating out Of Washington Airport
show their skill and familiarity with
the hazards of local operations are
sufficient to permit them to operate
without accident. his bureau will not
prohibit local airline flying. He indi-
Gated, however, if it is clearly shown
at any time during the coming year
that human life is being unduly i'm
periled, the airport will be closed to
transport planes.
The Senate yesterday strapped the
House airport bill. which provided for
Federal commission of nine members
to select an airport site and another
commission Of three members to pur-
chase, construct and operate an air
port on the chosen site. In its place
the Senate passed bill which calls
on the President to appoint a COM
mission Of seven members to examine
all possible local sites and Ito advise
the Congress at the next session what
1t considers to be the best site for
this purpose" Senator Tydings. DEM
ocrat, Of Maryland is author of the
Senate measure.
House Group to Meet.
The Airport Subcommittee of the
House District Committee probably
will be called into session tomorrow
by its chairman, Representative Ran
dolph, Democrat, of West Virginia, to
determine whether the Senate amend
ment is acceptable. Should the House
disagree to the Senate bill and de-
mand conference, it is believed the
legislation will die in conference be-
cause of the impending adjournment
TIE Senate measure directs that
the commission shall be composed of
persons who because of official posi-
lions are interested in the develop
ment of commercial airport in the
District Of Columbia" 1t prohibits
appointment to the commission, how
ever, of any person who has any d.
rect or indirect financial interest in
any site or sites for said airport"
The commission Is directed to select
a site after consideration of all avail
able data, but is required to keep its
selection secret, making a confidential
report of its action to the Senate and
House during the second session OF
the Seventyfourth Congress next
January.
Members of the commission are to
serve without pay. The Tydings bill
provides $1,000, half from the Fed
eral Government and half from the
District government, to defray ex-
penses of the commission.