Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1936-03-04
HOUSE CONFEREES
ENDMEASURE TO
SENATOR TYD|NGS
Final Action in Senate Ex-
pected to Be Effected
This Week.
HOUSE WOULD THEN
BE ASKED TO APPROVE
Chairman Norton Declares Field
Should Be Model for
Nation.
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.

BY JOSEPH s. EDGEkTON.
Prospects for passage this week OF
long delayed local airport legislation
appeared bright today as new draft
of the airport bill, approved and
signed by House conferees, was placed
In the hands of Senator Tydings. OF
Maryland, Senate conference man
ager, to be called up in the Senate at
the first opportunity.
The new measure calls for an in
itial appropriation of 100000, to come
entirely from the Federal Treasury,
The measure was authorized last week
at meeting Of conference managers
on the part of Senate and House and
the draft was completed late yester-
day The matter has been in con-
ference since last Summer, following
the passage of widely different Senate
and House bills.
Approval OF the new bill by the
Senate would be followed Immediately
by request for House approval
which would complete congressional
action on the measure, sending it to
the White House for signature.
In announcing completion of the
bill. Representative Norton of New
Jersey, chairman of the House Dis
trict Committee. expressed the opin-
ion sit would not be fair to charge
any of the airport item against the
District of Columbia until it is de-
cided whether the airport is to be
national or local in character"
Il feel, personally Mrs. Norton
said. that it should be a national
airport. am informed that the
greater part of passengers entering
and leaving Washington by air are on
business connected with the Federal
Government. and it appears that the
interests of the National Government
in an adequate. modern air terminal
here far outweigh those of the Dis
trict."
She said that in her opinion the
airport should not merely be adequate
in size and equipment for a city Of
half million population, but that it
should go far beyond this limitation
and serve as model for the Nation.
1t should be comparable with the
great governmental airports at the
capitals of the European nations, she
said.
Commission to Have Power.
The new draft of the bill. framed
to break seven-month deadlock be-
t,reay, Copato opd uo,,ce y,rovidoe for
creation of commission of nine men,
bers, composed of three Senators,
three Representatives and three men,
bers to be named by the President.
This commission is authorized to Sc
lect the permanent airport site and
to decide whether the airport is to be
of national or local character.
OF the 100000 authorization, s10,-
900 is to be available for employment
of experts to aid the commission in
making its selection of suitable site
and $4,000 will be available to per-
NIT the commission to take up options
on the site it may select.
The commission is given power to
make its selection in the District or
in nearby Maryland or Virginia
1t is believed that under the terms
of the bill as it now is drawn the
airport commission will proceed Sc
cretly with its selection of the site so
it may obtain options on whatever
property is needed at the best pos
sible advantage to the Government.
1t is probable that no announcement
of the choice will be made until the
commission submits its report and the
options to Congress. The committee
is required to make its selection and
report to Congress "as soon as pos
sible"
Policing Plans Delayed.
Arrangements for policing Of Mill
tary road under the terms of the
emergency bill signed yesterday by
President Roosevelt have been delayed
pending the return to Washington of
Samuel j. Solomon, Washington Air
port manager Although the road is
to be guarded under supervision of the
Commerce Department, details of the
policing plan will be left to airport
officials and Virginia authorities.
Solomon is expected to confer with
Virginia police authorities before the
end of the week on a plan for the
deputizing of special marshals to en-
force new traffic regulations to pre-
vent the possibility of collision between
automobiles and aircraft at the Mill
tary road crossing.
Called unexpectedly to Richmond
yesterday in connection with q bill
pending in the Virginia Legislature to
tax the sale Of aviation gasoline, Sol
ONION passed through Washington last
night en- route from Richmond to
Boston. He is an official of q New
England airline. Solomon left word
that he would take up the matter Of
policing the road Immediately upon
his return Friday morning.
He also is expected to take up with
officials of National Aviation Corp,
the New York concern which owns
the local airport, the matter of grading
a runway across Military road. This
work, although long recognized as q
necessity. could not be undertaken I'M
til the President signed the bill au-
thorizing the airport to make use Of
the road as part Of the landing
field