The Key West citizen., 1954-10-13

County controversy over land
Ing fees at Meaeham Field was
reviewed last night by County
Commissioner Joe Allen.
The following is the text Of
his talk:
Good Evening,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
/ have always believed that the
public should be kept fully in
formed concerning the conduct of
its affairs and many times before
I have come before you on this
radio station giving you complete
information regarding various
problems which have faced your
county commission from time to
time.
The present situation regarding
Meacham Field is in my opinion
one Of the most complex and most
serious which we have had to
face and it is with deep regret
that your commission has been
forced to resort to the measures
which it has had to take during
the past several weeks.
I wish that / could impart to
you all of the information which
/ have obtained on this subject.
I am sure that there would be
no doubt in your mind that your
county commission has taken the
only honorable course open and
that regardless of the conse-
quences, we would have your un-
questionable support. However,
in the few minutes available to
me this evening would like to
give you as much information
as possible.
The controversy between Ma
tional Airlines and Monroe Coun-
ty is in reality supreme effort
to deal Aerovias @, a Cuban Air
line, a Knockout blow. A glance
at the statistics available in GUS
toms and immigrations offices
will reveal that during the past
several years Areovias @ has
been siphoning off a large per-
centage of the Hayana trade,
most of which has been taken
from National Airlines which OPP
crates from Miami to Havana.
This is a proven fact and as
shown on the books, Aerovias Q
established an all-time record
this summer and on one day car
ried more passengers to Havana
than any day in the history OF
the line.
With the removal of the tolls
from the Overseas Bridges more
and more people are driving to
Key West and taking the short
Commute hop to Havana for ten
dollars instead Of the 58-minute
flight from Miami at twenty dol
lars.
What does this all mean? That
the City Of Key West is regain
ing its position as the gateway
to Cuba and South America lost
to Miami years ago when Pan
American, after having its begin
ming in the Island City, trans
ferred its operations to Miami.
This aviation progress has been
made despite the fact that our Ia
cilities are twenty-five years be-
hind any other city in Florida =.
Did you ever stop to realize that
our airport today is not even as
good as it was some rs years ago
when Pan American first started
!. at that time they constructed
q, large hangar which was later
removed to Miami. Some years
later the very terminal building
was sold and removed to another
part of the city to be used as
private residence. So you see, in
stead of going ahead, we have
been going backwards.
Even our civic leaders cannot
fully comprehend or realize just
what possibilities in the way OF
civil aviation are ours for the
asking (. ours if we could only
pull together and offer airlines
the proper facilities that are
needed.
did not realize this. fully un-
til I attended an aviation con-
ference in Miami some months
ago and much to my amazement
found that Miami was facing a
problem whereby it had too much
air traffic and its leaders ap-
pealed to other communities In
the southeastern part of the state
to develop its facilities and ab-
sorb some of its overflow traffic.
Several other communities on
the Florida East Coast, notably
West Palm Beach, took the tip
and Immediately began to pro-
mote its air traffic s. this city
has recently dedicated a new
terminal and is enjoying increas-
ed international air business.
Here in Key West we have a
peculiar situation. We have two
airlines, one of which is Aerovias
@, foreign carrier carrying pas
sengers exclusively between Key
West and the Island Republ'S.
The other is one of our major
services, National Airlines, oper-
ating a local service between
here and Miami but a major COM
petitor to Aerovias @ because its