Evening star., 1952-03-13
KiIIinq
Funds Up
For Final Action
Senote Moy Be Asked
To Restore $l.4MiIIion
If House Vote Stands
By Harold B. Rogers


The House today faced making
o decision whether to restore $l!A
millions for Burke Airport strick-
en- from an appropriation bill yes
terday by q tentative vote.
If the vote Of 128 to II is ape
proved today, proponents Of the
airport project plan to ask the
Senate to restore the fund to tho
third supplemental appropriation
measure.
The fight against the airport
was launched by Representative
Andersen. Republican, of Mime
sofa, who was joined by several
Republicans and Democrats.
Party lines were split In the
standing vote to kill the item.
Most Of the opposition votes came
from the Republican side of the
aisle.
Charges Waste.
Mr.. Andersen, who had tried.
but failed, to strike the Burke
funds from the bill in the, full
House Appropriations Committee,
charged the project would be q
waste of money. He said 1t would
threaten q heavily populated area
of Fairfax County with the same
kind of catastrophies which hit
Elizabeth, N. j.
The Minnesotan insisted that
overloaded Washington National
Airport should divert it's surplus
air traffic to Friendship Airport.
10 miles this side Of Baltimore,
now variously estimated to DO
used to only 20 to 80 per cent
of capacity.
Accessibility Argued.
Debate ragged OF and on during
the afternoon over the accessibility
of Friendship and Burke Airports
to Washington. with considerable
differences reported by various
speakers about the transportation
time required over the roads.
Principal defender of the Burke
money was Representative Rooney,
Democrat. of New York. He in
sisted Congress had authorized
the project, had already appropri-
ated 81 million, much of which
had been deposited in court
toward cost of about 1000 acres.
being acquired under q legal
process, declaration Of taking"
Mr.. Rooney quoted from hear
|ings on the project to show this
acquisition inclined some Of the
more expensive parts Of the site.
Andrews Air Force Base should
be taken as an auxiliary airport
instead of building Burke, the
House was told by Representative
Poage, Democrat Of Texas.
Andrews belongs to the Govern
ment," he said. you're afraid Of
the stars and bars on somebody's
shoulder, and gold braid. We
don't need a defense field right up
on the target, especially in these
days of jet fighters"
Representative Smith, Demo-
crat. of Virginia. in whose con-
|gressional district the Burke site
is located, told the House his
constituents were strongly OPP
posed to the new airport.
He explained that since Con.
|gress had authorized the project.
Federal money had been put in
the court and title to property
had passed. it was mot incum-
bent upon me to oppose the
project"
But the Virginian asked the
House members to mediate"
about the plight of the Fairfax
County people losing their homes.
He asked his colleagues to think
how they would feel IF your
ancestral home was taken from
you ruthlessly by the Govern
ment."
Representative Phillips, Repub-
lican. Of California. said he had
visited the site, and found It roll
ing ground. with underlying gram
ite which he said would be ex-
pensive to grade.
Among Marylanders who spoke
against the appropriation were
Democratic Representatives Fal-
lon, Sasscer and Garmatz, and
Republican Representative Dev-
ereux.
Opponents Of the measure esti-
mated the eventual cost Of the
Burke airport at about $50 mil.
lion.
MIR. Rooney said the total figure
OF $12 million is an estimate by
experts"