Evening star., 1954-10-24
Butler Reveals Riff
Among Opponents
OF New D. c. Airport
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ut New j. I. Airport
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I'm not qualified To say what's
right or wrong on that score. !"
Blocked Other Plans.
The Maryland lawmakers how
ever, have lobbied hard for use
of Friendship as an alternate to
National and helped block estab-
lishment Of such bases both at
Burke. Va. and at Andrews
Field, Md.
Next months Senate Com
merce Committee hearings were
ordered by Chairman Bricker at
the request Of Senator Butler, a
member Of the committee.
One big question was to find
out why Friendship should not
be used as an alternate to Ma
tional.
Use Of Friendship for that
purpose has been opposed on
several grounds but most strongly
because it took too long to drive
there from the Capital.
That time, however, was sharply
reduced Friday-to about as
minutes--by opening of the Bal
timore Washington parkway.
which has a 2-mile connection
to Friendship.
This time, measured from
Friendship to the Statler Hotel,
is 80 minutes longer than air.
port limousines take to reach
the same spot from National
It is only Is minutes longer,
however, than the estimated time
from Burke and only about 10
minutes longer than the "Trip
from Andrews.
Asked If he would renew his
campaign for use of Friendship
because of the parkway's OPEN
ing. Senator Butler said his plans
have been upset by a letter from
Mr.. Perkins to Senator Bricker.
Republican. of Ohio, and chair
man of the Senate Commerce
Committee.
He quoted Mr.. Perkins as
writing:
1--WE have no interest in becom-
ing a secondary airport for the
Capital area and are not sympa-
thetic to the establishment of
our facility as an alternate air.
port to Washington National"
Charging that this pulled the
rug out from under u.s." he
branded Mr.. Perkins a "little
czar" of the airport board, but
said he didn't know if the board
would support the position.
Mr.. Perkins said Senator But
Ter doesn't know what he's talk
ing about" and said the Mary
land legislators will have to
figure out their own way of get
ting off the spot they're in.
He explained the five-man
Baltimore City Airport Board
has final say on use of the city's
two airports. Members are ap-
pointed by the mayor for six
year. staggered terms. are con-
f1rmed by the City Council and
serve without pay. The board is
set up under the city's charter.
Its other members, Mr.. Per-
kins said, are John T. Menzies,
presidentsof Crosse and Black
well; Robert O. Bonnell, vice
president of the Fidelity Balti-
more, National Bank, John E.
Semmes. Of the law firm of
Sen1mes. Bowen and Semmes,
and Baltimore's director of pub
lie works. now George Carter.
MFR. Perkins said the board
had fatty rejected one sugges-
ton of Senator Bricker y that
armed forces air installations
across the Potomac River from
National be moved to Friendship.
This would let National expand
into space now occupied by Boil
ing Air Force Base and the Naval
Air Station.
1--WE do not want and, in
cidentally, will not have any per-
military installations, F"
he declared.
Avoids Taking Stand.
Mr.. Perkins insisted that as
chairman of the airport board
he has carefully avoided taking
any position on the solution ito
the obvious congestion in WASH
ington-that's up to other peo-
ple."
Nevertheless, he said, "We
want to cooperate. Well be as
cooperative as can be-" but he
pointed out that the airport was
built for Baltimore and declared
the welfare of it's citizens must |
be considered first.
The airport was opened in
1850. It was built for about SIS |
million. with $12 million pro-
vided by a Baltimore City bond
issue and about SO million from
the Federal Government.
The airport. Mr.. Perkins said, |
could probably "quadruple its
present commercial traffic with /
out any difficulty. although we
might have to curtail temporary
military operations there"
Not Operating in Red.
Also he said "incOYce iS mora