The Daily Alaska empire., 1947-03-19
BILL
 K BEFORE SENATE
 FOR RL0NG HEARING
Amendment 10 Make Com missioners Appointive
 Is Stumbling Block

nearly all of it's session this fore noon to reading and discussion of s. B 48-the proposed Alaska Aeronautics Act, creating a five member commission to supervise civilian aircraft operations in the Territory and control air naviga- tion facilities in cooperation with Federal aeronautics agencies.
 Several amendments to the 26- page till were proposed, but none were adopted except some changes in the title.
 Marshall hoppin President of Alaska Aiilines and former Alaska Regional head for the Civil Aero nautics Administration, was heard at some length on the bill. John Manders, executive vice-President of Pacific Northe.c Airlines, also commented.
 Hoppin stated that the bill has the approval of the CAA, tEe CAB and the State Department. It is uniform legislation which has been modified to suit territorial laws. He pointed out that it provides en- abling legislation for Alaska muni- cipalities to participate in airport construction and improvement funds under the Federal Airport Program He also stated that the bill has the support of the entire membership of the Air Transport Association of Alaska, of which he is president.
 Questioning of Hoppin brought cut the serious plight of the cities of Anchorage and Fairbanks, where commercial airline operations are dependent upon use of military fields, The Secretary of War has advised that civilian aircraft will shortly be excluded from military fields there, unless some big step is taken immediately toward pro- viding civilian fields. S. B. 48, it was indicated, would permit the two towns to take the required steps.
 Asked why the bill should es- tablish the headquarters of the proposed commission at Anchorage, Hoppin said, that as CAA director, he had established CAA head quarters there to better serve the Territory" He thinks the commits sion could better serve the Ter ritory" if it should he headquart- cred at Anchorage, where the main CAA and CAB offices are located and where the headquarters of the Army's Alaskan Department is set up.
 Senator Victor C. Rivers. sup ported by Senator O. D. Cochran, objected to a provision in the bill for delegation of the commission $ broad powers to single man the Director. Hoppin agreed that the bill would not be materially affected if that provision were struck out. Co-Author William Munz stated he intended to propose an amendment to up the Aero nautics Directors projected salary from S7,5OO to $10000 a year. Hop pin agreed that it might be very difficult to find a desirable man for the job at the lower figure. Munz explained that another in tended amendment would make the commission -self-supporting, by im- position of a one-half cent per gallon tax on aircraft fuel. Some Senators wondered as to whether the commission might be inclined to favor development of large airport projects near the main cities at the expense of the small fields for use of smaller op- orators. Saying that the large op- orators can best profit by devel- opment of feeder lines, Hoppin said that smaller fields are ''abso- lutely essential" and he is confi- dent the commission that might be established would so consider them.
 With Hoppin excused the busi- ryess of inserting four pages oi amendments began, with the Attor-