Evening star., 1938-07-17
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERTON.


r. AGING the future with new hope and
* confidence after years of bevilder-
ment and uncertainty under . vacil-
lating Federal program Of civil
aviation control, the Nations air trans
port industry Is looking to the new Civil
Aeronauties Authority for guidance out OF
the stormy skies Of adversity into the sun
shine Of orderly, well-directed growth.
For years far-sishted leaders in the in
dustry have sought for control Of air trans
poration by some FEDERAL agency endowed
with such quasi-judicial functions as are
vested In the Interstate Commerce Com
mission. A powerful group within the in
dustry, in fact campaigned long and hard
for transfer OF all civil air functions from
the Commerce and Post ONCE Departments
to the I. c. c.
In the new Civil Aeronautics Authority,
Congress and the President have gone even
further than those aviation leaders dared
hope. They have created q new agency
entrusted with both quasi judicial and ad-
ministrative functions in = form which
promises much in the way OF sane. eficient
control, not only of air transportation, but
Of the whole broad Ield Of civil aviation
within the United States and under the
United States nag abroad.
An Important Chapter.
Legislation creating the new authority Is
regarded generally As the most important
step forward taken by the Federal Govern.
sI~AA -
Commerce Act Of 1926. which set up the
former aeronautics branch of the Commerce
Department to promote and regulate civil
aviation.
After initial surprise over the appoint
ment by President Roosevelt Of five mem.
bers of the authority and an administrator.
most Of whom were wholly unknown to
the aviation industry, aviation leaders are
rallying generally to the support Of the new
agency. 1t was quickly recognized that the
President had selected q non-partisan
group, wholly devoid of domestic air trans
port entanglements and prejudices. All of
the appointees, however, are known as
men who have demonstrated outstanding
capability, energy and resourcefulness in
their respective careers.
In making his appointments the Presi-
dent pointedly ignored many candidates
for appointment who haG powerful and ac-
tive support politically or from the indus
try. On the whole. however, there is =
growing spirit of gratitude that the Presi-
dent has refused appointments to those
who by reason of intimate association with
particular aviation companies or groups or
with political machines might have brought
jealousies or bias into the new agency.
Serves Two Masters.
As finally constituted, the Civil Aero
nautics Authority is something new in
American Government - bi-partite
agency which. in effect, serves two mas
ters. The five-member authority itself is
not an executive branch of the Govern
ment but is 4 quasi judicial body which
acts As the representative Of the Congress,
to which 1t is responsible. The admins
trative part Of the authority. under lead
ership Of the administrator, on the other
hand is executive in character and repre-
sents and is responsible to the President.
In its dual capacity-an arrangement
which is regarded rs frankly experimental
the new authority therefore Is charged
with powers never before granted to q
single agency Of Government in this coun-
try. It has the power to decide, what air
transport companies may engage in air
transportation and where, they may oper-
ate: 1t prescribes rates for the Transports
ton Of mail, passengers and express: estab-
fishes regulations for the operation Of air
craft, issues certificates Of convenience and
necessity to air carriers and certificates Of
competency to pilots and other air and
ground personnel, examines and certihes
the airworthiness Of aircraft, engines pro-
pellers and equipment: constructs, main.
tains and operate airways, intermediate
landing felds and air traffic control and
communications systems, and enforces its
own mandates under the joint authority of
Congress and the Chief Executive. in short,
it takes over all Of the functions now vested
IN the Bureau Of Air Commerce, the Air
mail Division of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, some Of the airmail functions
Of the Post once Department and other
functions peculiar to itself.
In some respects the problems which viii
be assumed by the new authority on Au-
gust "a, when the aet becomes effective,
viii be mare difncult than those now con-