The Key West citizen., 1954-10-13

i washington l was told in empha-
tic terms that National Airlines
was powerful in Washington and
| that Mr.. Baker was considered one
of the fiar-haired boys in the pre-
sent administration.
Despite the fact that National
Airlines violated numerous rules
and laws of the post office depart
ment and the Civil Aeronautics
Board when it stopped its ser
vice on January l, your board was
unable to even get hearing on
the matter. These officials in Wash
ington openly admitted infractions
of the law but repeatedly told us
to continue negotiating with them.
Now, there is no doubt in my
mind that your board could have
come to a very lucrative settle
ment with National Airlines if it
had agreed to do one thing and
that is to do as one official sug-
gested in one of our many off the
record meetings "to put the screws
to Aerovias @ in Key West as the
Cubans are putting it to National
| in Havana.
National Airline officials allege
that they are outrageously charged
to operate in Havana. They want
us to tax the Cuban airline out of
business in Key West.
National has had a permit from
CAB to operate from Key West to
Havana for quite some time, They
claim that they are unable to get
permission from the Cuban Gov
ernment to invoke this permit.
Some Cuban officials believe that
this is not true.
However, in one of my many con-
ference with National I obtained
the following information which
may be the key to the question.
CAB regulates the rates which
may be charged by American air
lines. The rate chargeable between
here and Cuba if National operated
would amount to not more than SC
per mile or about S7.20. Their rate
between Miami and Havana is
$1,000. If you were in Nationals
shoes what would you do? You
would try to styme the Key West
to Havana business too.
Now, National admits that if it
could get into Boca Chica it would
specialize in Navy trade and cares
little for the civilian traffic. Thus
you can see the picture if your
county commission is forced to a.
bandon Meacham Field, National
would sit tightly at Boca Chica,
maintaining its local service. Aero
Was @ gould be forced out of buSi-
ness and Key West as a port of
entry or departure to Latin Am
erica would be forever lost.
Old timers will remember that
Aerovias @ started its operation
when Key West was turned down
by every major airline. Many of
us have short memories but go
back a few years and recall the
tremendous agitation by Rogelio
Gomez when he interested several
Cuban citizens and Key West saw
the birth of its first Air Service
to Havana since it was abandoned
lock, stock and barrel, by Pan
American.
Yes, at the time that Aerovias
@ made its first trip into Key
West we were in very poor finan-
cial condition and this company
built this Key West to Havana bus
mess up from scratch.
Your county commissioners have
no intention of taxing Aerovias O.
out of business and thus informed
National Officials. By the same to-
ken, upon being told, National Air
lines have no intention of settling
with Monroe County on any terms.
To make things more difficult
National has indicated that it wants
a 80 year contract whenever it
signs. This means that were we to
accept their shotgun proposal, we
would bind future commissions at
this ridiculously low figure regard
less of how the town grows, how
many flights National puts on, how
much mail it carries, how many
passengers handled or what guam
ity of freight is involved.
Now, there has been some dis
cussion as to what National has
been getting or will get in the fu-
ture for the amount charged.
MORE MORE-MORE
In the past the fee has been $40
per day or about $500 a month for |
use of the Airport. Originally they |
bid against the county and won
their present building which is on
government property for SIS a |
month. Recently it was learned |
that they big-dealed in Washing /!
ton and have never paid a red cent |
in rent to the Navy.
Up until little more than a year |
ago, the airfield was owned by pri-
vate interests and the combind fees |
and rents of the airport including |
$40 from National and SIS from |
Aerovias Q was not quite enough !
to pay the lease rental to the own !
ers by the county.