The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-10-16
Board Expects Decision
Soon On Airport Status

late last night no definite infor-
nation has been received concern.
ing the disposition of Bluethentha]
Army air field but according to
Addison Hewlett, chairman of the
Board of County Commissioners
there will be an announcement at
anv time now from the War De-
nartrnent as to whether or not the
ai-base will be maintained as a
,ernanent Army airfield.
He said members OF recent
citv-county delegation to Washing.
ton had been told nothing about
the possible disposition of Bluethen
thai other than it had thigh ra-
fling" Hewlett said the local Of
ficials had learned, however, that
tbe government was planning to
keep some airports in North Caro-.
Ira.
In a discussion by the county
board yesterday morning of pos
sible action which the War Depart
ment might take in regard to Blue
4benthal, Commissioner Harry
Gardner said he felt ''the airport
will be used by the government in
some way or other"
Attention of the board was called
bv County Attorney Marsden Bel
lsny to an article in several state
newspapers Sunday, to the effect
that the government probably
would retain only TWO airports in
North Carolina - those at Fort
Bragg and Goldsboro.
To this Commissioner Louis Cole
man replied, IT think the sooner
the government gets out of every.
thing, the better Off we'll all be-"
He added that eff we pull out of
japan and Germany right now, it
will take them Is years to get
where they'll be able to fight
again" The 18-year-old pilots be-
ing trained now would be of no use
% years from now, he continued.
Disagreeing with him, Hewlett
said, We've got to keep our nation
strong; we must keep up our de-
Tense"
Commissioner George Trask ex-
pressed himself as of the opinion
hat eff the government turns it
loose, we can get enough income
from it to keep it up. Other board
members expressed themselves diff
ferently, however.
Terminating the airport discus
sion, Chairman Hewlett called at
;ention of the commissioners to a
request of the American Legion
hat the Veterans Administration
utilize the Fort Fisher hospital.
County board members agreed to
endorse the project.
Although voting 'yes' on the en-
1orsement. Coleman said I'm not
going to oppose it, but don't think
It's fit for the veterans"
1t could be used temporarily,
Hewlett pointed out.
Further action included the pres
entation for the signature of men,
bers of bill of sale by the county
attorney, selling the county's inter-
est in the Woodrow Wilson hut to
the city for the sum of $4,000. The
attorney read the bill of sale, but
said it had not as yet been accept
ed by the city.
All county bills submitted for
payment were approved, with but
one exception. The commissioners
voted to deny. payment of bill
submitted by deputy sheriff who
went by airplane to Fayetteville
during the flood to return a prison
er to Wilmington. County officials
deemed the extra cost Of travelling
by plane unnecessary, since the
prisoner was in the custody of Fay
etteville authorities and there was
no urgency for his return here.
They approved the payment of reg
ular automobile mileage and ex-
pense to the deputy. Hewlett dis
closed that he had not authorized
the officer to travel by plane.
Another document read by the
chairman was a notification from
the Housing Authority that the War
Housing office, located in the South
ern building, to which the county
had been contributing $25 monthly
was being closed
Also received by the board was
letter of appreciation from the
American Legion Post 10 for the
county's recent action appropriate
ing $50 monthly towards the estab-
hshment of Wilmington bureau to
aid returning veterans.
The commissioners received and
approved a petition from residents
Oct. %, and a one-week term OF
OF Marathon avenue asking that the
State be requested to continue i'm
provements to that road which were
begun several years ago and dis
continued at the start of the war.
Jurors for the one-week criminal
term of Superior court beginning
mixed Superior court starting Nov.
D were drawn.