The Waterbury Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1917-1946, 1946-02-27
An Airport and Our Future


We cannot at this time, give unqualified endorsement
to about opposition proposed airport for the waterbury
area We will however qualify support of any sueh pro-
posed municipal airport until all factors concerned with it
feasibility and practcaby have been upturned and weighed
for value We think it much too early to attempt 10 pun
full halt to any plans for the study of such program
To contend at this early date that Waterbury offers
little to the poenaes of aviation wise versa U.s. to our
minds indulgence in type of civic solatonism which may
subsequently penaize our municipalities future. Aviation
is now out of the stage of speculation and mmaturty ana
has emerged since the beginning of the war; into giant III
the field of transportation To attempt to cloak ourselves
in the wraps of insulary in this question may be kened
to striving to wrap about us to avoid hurricane
10 be ignorant of progress excusabe but to deliberately
try to avoid it is unjustiiable.
The merits of some of the of the opponents
to the proposal worthy They contend that waterbury
alone could not sufficiently support municipal airport
While their reasonings sound yet they specuaVe
not knowing what the future will bring. BY the same
token the plans of the proponents in the speculative
realm yet believe they hold more merit because they
advance to meet the challenge of offered by
aviation They urge only that the city plan for eventual
ity by plotting its should it some day md
necessary. for sake of existence to follow that course
Too many of us continue look aviation nov
city, or luxury fight into fancy which has been given
some measure of reality but will quite fit into our
everyday normal natural phase OF that exist
ence Most of still into the sky at the drone OF
pane Yet it that single act of looking upward INTO the
path of mans fight that the permanent future OF
aviation 1t is curiosity that leads US to look up
ward the magnetic pull of progress and the thrill to be
found the daring of which has permitted him TO 1u
Their challenge and distance 1t is the knowledge that
by such ingenuity tomorrows time will not be stale repet
tion of todays
Let US accept as final conclusion, for the sake OF argu
ment the statements of local ndusriaists that ar
freight Transportation is feasible for their companies
because of the heavy aspects of the materials in USE hese
men their businesses and certainly have given consd
GRAFTON to the possibility of air transportation If the lat
ter has been found wanting in this aspect only safe TO
assume that this was determined until these indus
trass had thoroughly searched out the facts But wna
of other businesses? What of the possibility of aviation
opening and fresh vistae of business for Waterbury
What of fresh fruits tropical and native which are already
being transported to all points of America by plane and are
offering of enterprise? What of the same pos
sbties for flowers for foodstu medicines general mer-
chande of all kinds small parts for and of other manuac
turers etc?
Next, but by secondary, should be our CON
sderation air travel by people and the everdeveopng
propensity toward this mode of travel transportation It's
subsequent full development is something not yet cacuaoe
in light of the constantly calculating IN AVA
ton except the assurance by sound statistical reasong
that it will be tremendous The increased demands for ar
travel have been and still are far out OF proportion TO m
ability of aviation handle them. Avations problem at
ties and equipment Yet we to ignore these facts and
turn back when progress persists IN proddng our
shoulder-bades?
Let be factual. 1t has been argued that Wa
line airpors Hartford and Bridgeport 1t is further rea
soned therefore that airport in the local would be
superhuous Yet when the railroads had finished building
their main routes they did not stop there they began To
build secondary lines and to double track their main lines
The airlnes of today undertaking similar expansion
Their routes crsscros the country and make it possible to
travel distances with speed comfort and
safety. Were the arguments against railway second
airy lines heard in the early days of the railroads. History
answers yes Wasn't the opposition to the potentia
ties Of rail travel and transportation heard History again
says yes.
This is of speed and of progress in science which
must be ready to accept with the thundercap sudden
Of the last that the first atomic
bomb in world history had destroyed most of Hiroshima
design to meet the demands of this cannot
stop too long TO the speculative merits of the de-
mands We must plan for well against and when the
reality of these demands square before be ready to
choose and subsequently destiny That
ALL it, that the City Plan Commission is asking
It this time To PLAN to prepare, and be ready Let US
not take defntve sides at this time in opposition to each
other The city authorities and many citizens the
planning for airport the legislative committee of the
Council Of Community Clubs and of the ndusralsts
opposed Let each group prepare its without
directly obstrucng the other. Our cys future may be