Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1949-11-14

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/. In advocating q supplementary national
air terminal for the Washington area, I
trust you also will insist that the cost of such
an installation be borne by those who stand
to benefit most by it-namely, the airlines
themselves.
It is time the American taxpayer gave
little thought to what subsidized trans
portation does to his pocketbook and the
implications it holds for our future form of
government. It Is the responsibility of the
newspapers to place the facts before the
public, since we can depend upon it that the
CAA will do everything in its power to
justify activities which become more ques-
tionable with each passing year.
The airlines are in business to make
money, and the 1949 revenue figures show
that SO. far this year most Of them are doing
that. In fact they are very optimistic about
their earnings for the year as q whole
This Is encouraging, and am glad to see
them getting on their feet financially. We
must not lose sight Of the fact, though. that
the airlines are but one segment Of our great
transportation system and 1t Is not fair for
the Government to help one portion at the
expense of another. Unless our transpor-
tation systems remain free to compete with
each other in the same manner as any
other businesses. transportation will become
a nationalized industry, which Is the first
step to socialism.
One way to keep our transportation sys-
tenn free is to insist that the airlines build
and maintain their own terminals The
Washington Terminal Company recently
announced large modernization and i'm
provement program, the money for which
no doubt will come from the users Of rail-
road facilities It. therefore, is not unrea-
sonable to insist that the airlines use their
own money to improve their competitive
position in the transportation field,
Comparisons With st. Louis.
do not have figures available for WASH
ington, but 1t Is interesting to note that in
1913 the st. Louis Terminal Railroad Asso-
citation paid little over $183 900 In taxes on
Union Station facilities. The Lambert Field
airport est. Louis is city-owned and tax
free. Recent modernization Of Lambert
Field cost the city, State and Federal Gov
ernments little over million dollars, to
be paid through taxation Of the public gen.
orally. The million dollar-expen to
modernize the st. Louis Union Station will
be paid for by the railroads out Of the
income they receive from railroad patrons.
The above figures point to the fact that
continued policy Of the use Of public tax
monies to support the airlines to the
detriment Of other forms OF transportation,
ulcV3taply WALL ICcu1G IA SlA4n114lnA41AAS estA AZ
turns on the one hand and increased exc
penditures on the other. For with the
growth Of air transportation the airlines
and the CAA are going to insist on more
Government funds for operating purposes.
In letter appearing In your paper Mo-
pember 8. Allen 4. Thompson demands that
either the CAA be abolished and It's duties
turned over to the armed forces. or q new
agency be designated to handle air traffic
control believe this and other operational
duties Of CAA should be put where they
logically belong lin the hands Of the airlines
themselves. I cannot understand why Cow
ernment employees should be handling traf-
fc problems for commercial airlines. This
Is but one function Of CAA that should be
turned over to the airlines, for this branch
Of the Government has become . prOpa-
ganda agency for the airlines and aS 4lch
puts the Government IN the position Of