Evening star., 1936-02-07
CONFEREES AGREE
ON BILL TO CLOSE
ROAD AT AIRPORT
subcommittee Named to
Draft Measures for Vote
Next Week.
ACTION BY SENATE
is EXPECTED MONDAY
Title to Highway Through Field
Is Scheduled to Remain in
War Department.
BACKGROUND

BACKGROUND
Inadequate in size and other i'm
portant qualifications, Washington
Airport has added hazard OF pe-
hiculor road running across land
ing strip.
In July, 1884. airport officials, on
their ol1n responsibility. placed =
traffic lights to control uehicles.
Last Summer, at inSiStence OF
Commerce Department, guards
also tDere placed on duty Attempts
to close road haze been blocked By
Arlington County residents: War
Department has declined to sane
ton traffic control. This week air.
port manager threatened to reu1oDe
lights and guards, Commerce De-
partment threatened to close port,
Post Office Department threatened
to rloUe mail serUice to Baltimore.
Immediate temporary closing of
Military road was agreed upon by the
Senate and House Military Affairs
Committees in joint session today to
prevent the transfer of all air trans
port operations from Washington to
Baltimore.
After prolonged hearings, the two
committees agreed on a plan for the
closing of the road pending de-
termination by Congress of perma-
nent airport plan for Washington.
subcommittee we're appointed to
draft duplicate bills which will be in
troduced at once in both Senate and
House and pressed to a vote early next
week
Quick Action Sought.
The subcommittee were instructed TO
arrange for introduction of the bills
as soon as possible. The Senate bill
probably will be introduced at noon
Monday, since the Senate will not be
in session this afternoon or tomorrow.
Under the committee plan, title to
Military road will remain in the War
Department.
The Department of Commerce
threatened to close Washington Air
port if the present traffic lights and
guards on Military road we're removed
on February IS, as announced by air.
port officials.
Earlier representatives of four air.
lines had testified at the hearing that
all airline operation out of Washing
ton would have to be discontinued un-
less the road is closed.
The airline representatives said that
installation of lights and guards would
not be entirely satisfactory and that
to insure safety the road should be
closed an, converted into a part of
the landing field.
Airport officials indicated yesterday
they were willing to negotiate for the
purchase as real estate of that part Of
Military road between the two landing
fields. but Senator Byrd, Democrat, of
Virginia declared today the airport
should pay, not merely for the cost of
the land, but also for the enhancement
in the total value of the airport by
closing the road. He also urged that
provision be made for another high
way if the existing one is closed. -
Arlington County officials presented
data showing that yesterday 2,376 We
hicles were counted on the Military
road. including more than 200 busses.
as indicating the usefulness of the
highway and the need for a substitute
road
Eugene L. Vidal, director of the
Bureau of Air Commerce, told the
House committee at the opening of
hearings on the resolution to close the
road that Washington Airport has
had bad influence on opinion
throughout the country"
Frequently, when our inspectors are
called upor for expert advice in con-
nection with establishment of local
airports, the condition of Washington
Airport is brought up as an example of
Federal inability to provide for an
adequate airport even in the National
Capital"
Vidal repeated the threat of AsSis-
tant Secretary of Commerce John
M. johnson that, unless Military
road is closed or adequate policing
is provided to prevent possibility of
collision of automobiles and airplaneS,
the Department Of Commerce will be
CSee AIRPORT, Page 80