Evening star., 1936-05-02
AIR PROBE NEARS
END OF HEARINGS
Years Quiz May Result in
Sweeping Charges of
Regulations.
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERToN.

The Senate subcommittee, appointed
nearly a year ago to investigate air
craft accidents and the whole field of
Federal participation in civil aero
nautics, was nearing the end Of
months Of investigation and hearings
today.
I'VE have only a few more odds
and ends to clean up," said Chairman
Copeland Of New York, after a late
session yesterday.
It was indicated that one more
brief hearing, probably early next
week. will conclude the taking Of
testimony, except for some written
briefs. The subcommittee then will
plunge into the work of digesting
the great mass of testimony and writ
ing its report and recommendations,
which may result in far-reaching
changes in Federal aeronautical ac-
tivity.
Mrs. Putnam Defends Bureau.
High lights yesterday were:
The appearance of Amelia Earhart
Putnam. who staunchly defended Bu-
reau of Air Commerce personnel and
airways aids, urged construction of
a model airport for Washington, and
gave members of the subcommittee a
brief course of instruction in Federal
airways radio.
Thorough airing by Rex Martin,
assistant director Of air commerce in
charge of air navigation of the now
famous Mount" case, which resulted
in a singing letter of rebuke from
Senator Copeland to Secretary of
Commerce Roper, in which the SEN
ator accused the Department of Com
merce with bringing about the forced
designations Of J. A. Mount, former
superintendent of maintenance Of the
Bureau of Air Commerce, because Of
his testimony before the subcommittee.
An explanation by Martin of the
discovery" Of S2,000,000 worth of
Federal airways equipment scattered
around the country, some of 1t in
storage so long as to become obsolete.
This equipment, left over from the
previous administration. Martin said,
has been located, itemized, and put
into service wherever possible.
Dictatorship" Charge Hurled.
A bitter denunciation by Cy Cald-
well, associate editor of Aero Digest,
Of the "blacklisting" of former air.
line heads and the persistent failure
of the Government to try them or
clear their names and restore them to
usefulness. He held President Roose-
welt responsible for the situation,
which characterized as n-American"
and as evidence that the country "iS
slipping into dictatorship"
Revelation by James c. Edgerton.
in charge of stratoSphere research for
the Bureau of Air Commerce, that at
tempts now are being made to estab-
lish $4,000 feet as the next level of
travel for air transport planes, which
today are limited by regulation to q
maximum of $4,000 feet. New de-
velopments will permit airliners to
climb into always smooth. cloudless
skies above the highest storms, he in
dicated. This will be accomplished
not only by special treatment Of en-
gines, but al-o by supercharging cabins
and pilot compartments.
Testimony by John H. Geisse, chief
of the development section Of the Bu-
reau, that of all the funds allocated
to the bureau for aeronautieal safety
work. only about per cent is devoted
to safety work in behalf of pilots and
passengers on non-scheduled services,
virtually all Of the present work be-
ing devoted to scheduled airline opera
tions. Most of the aviation deaths
occur in non-scheduled flying, he said.