Evening star., 1938-01-12
AVIATION CONTROL
.BYB0ARD BACKED
Members of Presidents
Committee Are Declared
in Favor.

Creation OF an independent. three
man Federal board to take over avia-
tion activities of the Bureau of Air
Commerce. Interstate Commerce Com
mission and some of the functions of
the Post Office Department has the
unanimous support of members of the
Presidents Committee on Civil Avia-
ton Legislation, it was announced to-
day by Assistant Secretary Of Com
merce j. Monroe johnson, committee
Chairman.
Senator McCarran, Democrat, of
Nevada, is sponsoring the three-man
board at the Capitol in a revision he
now is making of his pending air-con-
troll bill. A similar bill has been in
troduced in the House by Representa-
tive Lea, Democrat, of California.
The new measure, which would re-
suit In the most drastic upheaval In
Federal aviation control since enact
ment of the present Air Commerce
Act In 1925, represents the views Of
members of the Presidents committee
representing the State. War, Navy,
Treasury. Post Office and Commerce
Departments, Col. johnson said. g.
Early Action Predicted.
Senator McCarran today predicted
early legislative action on the new
bill, following recent conferences with
the President
He declared there is need, not only
Tor new Federal system of regulation
and safety for air transportation, but
also for creation of standing commit
tee Of the Senate to handle all legiSla-
ton relating to aviation.
The Nevadan said the McCarran-
Lea bill pending in both houses will
form the basic framework of the plan
now under consideration. The main
features of the Senate bill were taken
IN the plan of the interdepartmental
committee, which the President has
asked me to consider" Senator Nc
Carran said.
Meanwhile, on the House side. a
drive for early passage of the Lea bill
was indicated by Chairman Mead of
one Of the special subcommittee on
Government reorganization
L. L. L. Control Criticized.
Representative Mead emphasized
that the Federal Aviation Commission
OF 1884 and 1885 advised that civil
aviation jurisdiction should not be
given to the 1. C. C. He quoted lead
ing representatives of the Army and
Navy as saying that for years to come
the needs of aviation demand a body
that will give primary consideration
to development and promotional ac-
tivities.
A separate measure to deal with
safety features is now awaiting Senate
action, but Senator McCarran said
that to facilitate study of the subject
he has prepared tentative measure
embodying main features of both the
air transport and safety bills, to be
administered by board of five men,
bers, to be named by the President
and confirmed by the Senate.
Definite Procedure Specified.
This proposal" he continued, goes
further than the interdepartmental
committee plan in that it specifies
definite procedure, patterne after that
Of I. c. c., which the board would
follow in arriving at decisions on the
principle of public convenience and
necessity and fair competition. My
new draft also assures the board great
er independence from the Federal
agencies that now control aviation
than would be the case under the in
sterdepartmental committee proposal"
The revised plan, the Senator said,
Is being studied by aviation authori-
ties now attending the National Aero
nautic Planning Conference in Cleve-
land. There is still strong support for
I. c. c. control and consideration of
that point is by no means arbitrarily
closed, he said.