The Wilmington morning star., 1940-05-23
WASHINGTON
DAYBOOK
BY JACK STINNETT

WASHINGTON, May 22-The Department of
Commerce is on the spot.
1t was put there by 46 senators, who voted
for President Roosevelt's Reorganization Plan
No. w and threw the independent Civil Aero
nautics Authority back into the department..
The situation was this: Two years ago, after
more than three years wrangling, investigating
and lobbying, the McCarran-Lea bill knocked out
the Bureau Of Air Commerce (then in the Com.
merce Department. and set up the independent
CAA. Although it is no. generally known, this
really was one of Jimmy Roosevelt's babies when
he was secretary to his father.
The A vas made un of a fve.man board
whose duties consisted principally of establish
ing rules, regulations and standards; an admin
istrator in charge of the physical set-up Of the
bureaus CT federal Arrays. safety regulation.
private flying and certificate and inspection !;
and the three-man air safety board, charged in
dependently with investigating all accidents, de-
termining their cause and reporting to the A
board for acton.
On March 90, 1910, less than two years after
this new agency started functioning the CON-
mercial airlines established the comparatively
amazing record of flying 81, 800, 900 miles, carry.
ing more than 1900, 900 passengers, without a
single fatal accident.
Hit House First
On April II, while the bouquets still were
showering down, the President tossed his little
bombshell: Reorganization Plan No. ", which
abolishes the Air Safety board entirely, and
puts the CAA back into the depart.
ment. Under the law, unless BOTH houses of
Congress vetoed the plan within so days, it was
to become effective.
The hullabaloo that this order raised almost
knocked the dome off the capitol. The scrap, for
weeks, shared editorial honors with the war in
Europe.
The house of representatives where such
critical downpours are felt first Especially in
election year) fastened to vote on the order and
opposed it by the healthy vote of 2S2 to 1853.
The senate, aware of the seriousness Of the
matter, took two days out to debate it, even
after the long hearings in committee.
1t was the heat of these arguments, coupled
with the vote that upheld the order, that the
Department of was put on the spot.
Dire things have been predicted for aviation,
It's charged that the order is a kickbacs to the
days when the infant transportation industry
was g, political football with human lives the
stake. Let one fatal accident occur in CONNER
cial aviation after June II, when the new order
becomes effective, and therell be an lnVestlga-
ton from here to Borneo.
Guessing Game
What actually was behind the order is an
other of those capital mysteries that may never
be solved. The President said simply that 1t
was to effect economy, more adequate super
vision, and eliminate friction that now exists In
CAA.
c.. B. Allen, former New York newspaperman
and Tom Hardin, ace pilot, will lose their jobs
when the safety board is abolished (sumpter
Smith, other member, already had resigned to
become director of the national airport.) Allen
has his own private explation for the order.
my mother" says Allen, always was very
rJo,,d of roe Fuor1tin1c 7 took q Sten I'M The
ladder Or achieved some little success she'd say
I knew it, son, you are going a long way But
never in her widest dreams did she ever think
I would reach such heights that the President
Of the United States would burn a house down
just to get me out of it.'