The Key West citizen., 1954-10-13

L
Aerovias @ so that a person nigh
Duy a ticket in any city in tn,
United States and fly to Havan;
through Key West or might buy ;
ticket in Havana to any point il
the United States by way of Key
West.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, yor
should be able to understand ir
some measure why National is SC
violently against any improvement
program for the Key West airport
You can understand why National
has placed every stumbling block
possible in the way of your county
commissioners to retard and kill
the Meacham improvements.
Since March your county COM
mission has been in constant touch
with National officials in the hope
OF obtaining a settlement in this
matter and we have been reluctant
TO bring out anything derogatory
to National fearing that it might
tend to hurt our chances of a com.
promise settlement. You may criti-
cize us for delaying final action
until now but we have ever hoped
that National might reconsider and
come to terms but they have never
moved an inch from the time that
we first journeyed to Miami to
meet with Nationals staff after
they fatty refused to come to Key
West, the seat of government in
Monroe County, for conference.
AT our first conference in March
they promised many things but in
the final analysis repudiated all.
Later we requested that they come
to Key West and Mr.. George Baker,
president of the line, sent several
of his top men here. At the meet
ing the County Commission acceed-
ed to Nationals request and re-
moved its demand that National
pay soc per passenger and con-
verted its rate schedule to the
weight basis, thereby reducing its
annual fees 5000. In other words
it was estimated that by collecting
SOC per passenger National, on the
basis of its last years traffic, pay
to Monroe County about ST., 900. On
the weight basis the fees would
have amounted to about 5000.
Mr.. Bakers representatives re-
turned to Miami apparently pleased
with their conference with the Mon
roe County Commissioners but to
this proposal Mr.. Baker gave his
usual answer many weeks later in
just one word, mo"
Upon receiving word of his re-
fusal, ! conferred with the other
county commissioners and sug-
gested that we include the rent to
be charged in the new terminal in
the daily landing fees, thereby re-
lieving National of another 5000.
/ attempted to call Mr.. Baker di-
rect on this proposal because /
felt that by talking to him direct
! might get further than by talking
to his subordinates. AS in past at
tempts was unable to talk to Mr..
Baker and thus was forced to COM
municate with their Mr.. Brawner.
He transmitted this to their at
torney in Washington, Mr.. Alex
ander Hardy, and he returned to
Key West some days later for an
other conference. Mr.. Hardy flew
back to Key West for another con-
ference and this time your county
commission made another conces-
sion and all persons concerned, in
cluding Mr.. Hardy, very happily
figured that our troubles with Ma
tional were over. This proposition
involved a flat $500 per month fee to
cover rent and protected National
on the weight basis because they
figured that in the future If they
increased their traffic and used
larger planes, the weight basis
might prove hardship on the
company.
Some days later we received our
answer on this proposition. Another
emphatic no" Thus when things
appeared absolutely hopeless !
again called Mr.. Hardy and ap-
pealed the breakdown in our nego-
tiations and in the conversation he
stated Lets figure out something
that might be acceptable to Mr..
Baker and to the County Commis-
sion." l told him that inasmuch as
this was holding up our improve
ment program the county commits
sioners would be acceptable to any
reasonable offer. Here is Mr..
Hardy's own suggestion that was
later turned down by Mr.. Baker.
That National pay the county their
own figure of $35O.OO from January
/ to October /. That they. pay $42SI
to completion date of new facill-
ties and $500 thereafter.
National came back stating that
they would pay only $3.50 from JAM
/ to completion of facilities and
that if facilities were not complet-
ed by June / that they would re-
vert back to $500 and that they
would make another concession.
They would donate a cash contrl-
button to Monroe County of $3.50 to
be used in paying for the plans.
The cost of plans on Meacham
EioId will ,,,r e2S nm 0r about 10