The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1937-02-11


This Is that the Bureau Of Air
Commerce has been lax in erforc-
ing safety regulations. Handsome
Director Eugene Vidal. and other
air officials, have talked glibly
about new safety devices. The
Bureaus glowing press releases
point With pride to the safety
manuals" issued by the air lines.
Yet the Bureaus own accident
reports show frequent violations Of
both the manuals and Of govern
ment regulations. These VIOLA
lions usually are made with the
knowledge OF the air line, since
the pilot must turn in a chart Of
a planned course before he takes
off.
Easy Going
Mr.. Vidal Is a charming gentle
man, was once a West Point
football star, has been a great
favorite Of Mrs. Roosevelt, and
more than once has benefited by
special pleas made In his behalf
by Amelia Earhart Putnam. But
the records of his own Bureau
show that he Is as easy-going in
air enforcement as he 81 charm
ing In hts social contacts.
During the Hoover regime,
the Air Bureau made public the
penalties 1t imposed upon the
air lines. But after Vidal be-
came director, censorship
was clamped on such announce
naents.
Search Of the Bureaus files
shows that but one case has
been referred by Vidal to the
Justice Department for prose-
cution. This compares with 81
prosecutions begun In the pre-
Vital days.
Fines have been collected, but
they have not been as heavy as
previously, and furthermore fines
are but a puny enforcement
weapon. In contrast, the Bureau
has sweeping powers to ground
planes In bad weather and to re-
woke transport licenses for seri-
Gus violations.
Roosevelt Memory
Mrs. Roosevelt's secretary, Mel
vina Thompson CTommy')
Schneider, says, II have pretty
good memory, but Mrs. Roosevelt's
memory puts me to shame"
1.-THE other day she said to
me, Did we ever get that mule
I stared at her. i didn't know
what she was talking about.
"Then she reminded me that
several weeks before we had a
letter from a woman who want
ed help to buy q mule for her
farm. / had forgotten all
about 1t. But not Mrs. Roose-
veIt."
British War-Planes
One thing which Walter Runci-
man, president Of the British
Board Of Trade, confessed to
Roosevelt in the privacy Of the
White House discussions, was how
worried the British were about
the slowness Of their aviation
armament program.
BY March !, 1887, they were
scheduled to have manufactured
II new squadrons (there are
about is planes In q squadroao
But on December IA they had
only 80 squadrons completed. This
meant that hin order to finish on
schedule. British plants would
have to speed up production by
800 per cent, obviously impos-
sible.
What makes 1t worse is that at
ter March J., the program calls
for an even faster increase.
Meanwhile the Germans, with
a very safe lead. also are speed
ing up productions.
So What
II 1t had been a school-roorn
instead OF the United States sem
ate, two unruly scholars would
have got dement's for impertin-
ence the other day.
Unruly scholar Vandenberg OF
Michigan was denounci1g ex-
travaganec In the administration
Of relief. Scholar Wagner Of
New York shot back from across
the aisle, that there was no more
extravaganza in the government
than In business.
vandenberg's retort was couched
In two unparliamentary words. He
said: 80 what?"
Wagner turned on him with an
impish smile and said: $50 sit
down."
General Motors Empire
How vast an industrial empire
Is involved In the General Mo-
tors strike can be guaged from
the fact that Chevrolet, one Of the
General Motors companies. spent
$4,000. 900 merely in re-tocling It's
machines to put out the 1887
model. u, j.
Total General Motors real prop
erty was valued at $502,i5O, 600 at
the beginning Of 1885, and include
ed not, only Buick, Chevrolet, Olds-