The Daily Alaska empire., 1946-01-24
AIR MAIL HELD UP HERE BY ICY
 FIELD CONDITION
Ch a Der of Commerce Takes Action = CAA
 Makes esDailY Reports

Virtual suspension of air service in and out of Juneau by Pan Ameri- can World Airways planes has brought to a head discussion and complaints of the sorry condition of the local airport; described by the Civil Aeronautics Administration. in it's regularly released Notice to Air men as:
 Extremely slippery and hazard ous."
 Those responsible for Pan Ameri- can planes landing at Juneau air port had indicated by yesterday that no more landings woud be made here until the airport runway had been sanded
 The decision not to use the Ju- neau field in it's present condition was reached solely by Pan Ameri- can operations personnel. Pacific Northern Airlines landed ship from thes Westward early today and took off again on schedule. Yesterday, both Alaska Airlines and Pan Ameri- can operated flights in and out of the Juneau port, and Alaska Airlines has indicated that it plans flights per schedule tomorrow Alaska Air lines is not scheduled into Juneau tomorrow.
 c Cf c Gets BuSU
 Whether as a result of a sharp wire dispatched yesterday by the Executive Board of the Juneau Chamber of Commerce to Alaska CAA headquarters at Anchorage, or net, steps to remedy the condition of the field here were being taken today. Sanding operations were conn menced this morning by the Public Roads Administration as coopera- tive gesture to another agency of the government--the helpless CAA, which has no sanding equipment hero
 It was expected that strip the length of the runway and 60 feet wide would be sanded by tonight. Whether that would be accepted by PAA operations chief as satisfactory, or not, was not known at the pres ent. When sanding operations are completed, the runway is expected to he covered to a width of 200 feet
 No Lending Ban
 It is expected that even then, the CAA will advise use of caution in landing. No direct ban on landings here has come or is to be expected from the CAA, however, it is stated. That agency describes conditions as they exist, leaving final decision to airline operations chiefs or to the in- dividual plane pilots.
 The critical wire sent yesterday by the Juneau C-of-C's executive board was directed to Walter Peet, CAA chief, at Anchorage. It stat ed:
 Respectfully request immediate emergency repair of hazardous sur face conditions Juneau airport due to lack of maintenance personnel and equipment, which has been re- sponsible for by-passing Juneau by air commerce at time when other landing and take-off conditions were satisfactory. Present personnel do- ing all possible. Juneau without air mail five days last week. Other equipment and personnel available here. Please reply by wire collect
 Short Of Help
 The Chamber executive board re- ported to the whole Chamber, at the regular weekly luncheon meeting to- day, that it had reached a decision in meeting yesterday: That the haz- ardous condition of the field is due to continued alternate freezing and thawing of ice and snow, which has not been removed by the CAA due to shortage of help and the 40-hour work week; that a wire to CAA headquarters should' be sent and Alaska Airlines and Pacific Northern Airlines informed so that they might take similar action.
 Full-Chamber discussion of the matter today resulted in little ex- cept approval of action already talk en by the executive board Also, it raised exception from O. s. Benecke of Alaska Coastal Airlines to the statement that Juneau is without air mail as result of PAA sus- pension. Airmail is still coming into Juneau via AGA planes, he said Mail is landed in Ketchikan where it is picked up by AGA seaplanes and brought to Juneau during the local landing field emergency.
 Inquiry of the Pan American of- flee here today brought reply that none of their planes were to be op- erated to or from the Juneau port today and indicated that none are expected for tomorrow.
 Jack Koby. of Pelican, is a guest