The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1954-10-16

AN&AA ~SSOAh my hCACs
About seven hours earlier,
the county had filed a petit
ton in County Court seek
ing to evict NAL from the
field for non-payment of a
SIS, LA rent bill.
The filing of the petition was the
first step at law for either side in
the nine-and-a-half months battle
over landing fees at Meacham Air.
port.
The petition for a declaratory de.
cree asks the court to rule that:
Monroe County has no power
Or authority TO charge 50 cents
per passenger.
Monroe County be temporari.
" snioinsd from demanding and
sxaetins the 50 cent fee.
Monrs County be temporsri.
" snioinsd from prosecuting fhs
eviction proceedings.
The petition was signed by Les
ter and NAILS Miami law firm -
Anderson, Scott, Mccarthy and
Preston.
In the bill of complaint, NAL set
out that it was common carrier
that had been flying between Mia.
mi and Key West since Jan. IA,
1914, - authorized by the Civil
Aeronautics Board.
National, the petition continued,
paid $40 per day to the county
from Jan. IA, 1914 until Dec. 81,
1858. The $40 per day was pay
able monthly and covered all NAL
operating fees here.
On Nov. q, 1858, the petition sta
ted, the board of county commits
sioners fixed new fees, including
the so cents per passenger fee.
Monroe County has no az.
fhorify TO assess charges st fhs
county ewnsd airport except
such Is are conferred by general
sfafvfes," the petition added.
The county, the petition also stat
ed, has no authority to collect the
50 cent fee but the county insists it
be paid.
The petition then turned to the
airport itself, saying:
"Msseham Is in no sense an
adequate, vp-to-dsfs airport"
and added:
THE runways are so short that
the Civil Aeronautics Authority
rules prohibit four-engine aircraft
from using the field, and the field
has no lights so only daylight OPP
erations can be conducted"
The county commission, said the
petition, admits Meacham airport
is inadequate and on Aug. 16, 1854
told National that the county was
spending $636,80o in improvements.
The increased fees, the petition
quoted the commission as saying,
we're to take care of the improve
ments.
No work has been started at the
field, the petition continued, but
the commission wants National to
start paying the increased fees as
of Jan. 1, 1854.
The petition quotes the county's
aviation consultant (Harold Wilde
of Miami) as telling NAL that
when the improvements are COM
pleted NAL will be able to fly Con-
vairs (44-passenger) planes into
Meacham.
However, the petition adds, the
cAA hes told National that even
with the improvements The cAA
can not ekay the use Of Con.
vars at Meaehsm.
The petition then took up figures
showing what it costs NAL to op-
crate at Meacham as compared
with similar fields.
National has lost money every
year it has operated at Meacham,
the petition stated.
For the 12-month period ended
June 30, 1854, the loss was $12o,.
372.
The $40 per month NAL paid
at Meacham prior to last Jan. 1,
was the highest for three Lodes-
tar IA passenger plane) flights
at 10 airports where NAL operates.
The average fee for 10 fields for
three Lodestar flights is s172 per
month, the petition said.
Under fine new schedule Of
feas. National estimates that