| Show I Hectic Days for the Minded Air I Ir J. J r a i t q 9 i ii i U k w. w j jH H I L fR r y V t r k f ry r r. r f 4 0 Top Top Federal Federal Aviation Commission Center Ill Fated Fated Navy Dirigible Macon Below Commander Wiley of the Macon By WILLIAM C. C UTLEY r I UESE have been hectic daj days s 's T THESE 8 for the air Reports recommendations and suggestions suggestions suggestions for gov governmental gO l policies toward toward toward to to- ward aviation have ha poured l Into congress congress con cou- gress gl-ess faster than proposals for or new go government eminent bureaus A new plan calling caBin for co coordination co ordina tion of all nil forms of transportation under federal control has been suggested su suggested sug sug- u by Joseph B. B Eastman gastman federal fed fed- eral cral co of transportation The federal aviation commission has suggested that a temporary an air ail commerce commission to bear the same relation to air transport that thai the Interstate Intestate Commerce commissIon commis- commis slop slon beats bears to the time railroads be cre cre- President Roosevelt eH in a message with which he presented the recoil recoil- recommendations of the federal aviation Q commission whIch was as created June 12 1 of oC last year ear to make male a study of aviation agreed with the premise that all forms of transportation tation must be co co under one regulatory control but disagreed disagreed dis llis agreed reed directly with the plan of establishing es es- n a separate commerce commission for the air lines The aviation n commission recommended recommended mended that the Interstate Commerce Commerce Com Coin merce commission be gIven gi Imme Immediate diate authority to regulate up or down the lie rates which the Post Office orfice Of or- fice flee department pays pas the air transport transport trans trans- port companies for carrying the mall the malt the rates which ha e come er e so near to ruining some of ot the companies involved ol The S same commission recommended recommended recommended mended that the government gO start work as soon as possible on a n new dirigible airship as the forerunner of an American Inter continental air transport system either to Asia or orI orto orto to Europe perhaps patterned after I the lie travel tra service of ot the time Graf Zeppelin Zeppelin Zep Zep- which makes maltes scheduled trips I between Germany German and ond Rio mo de Janiero Less than n a week later Inter the United United Unit Unit- ed ell States dirigible Macon the most modern than lighter lI craft existent existent exist exist- tent ent and the pride of the navy navr foundered and disappeared into the calm Pacific with two of Its crew of 83 63 men Submits Three Plans Co Co Eastman submitted three plans to congress for the unification unification uni uni- of transport but only onty one of them had hall his approval the others oth oth- ers ors being of offered merely to show what the alternatives are All of I them while affecting aviation a were were aimed principally at rescue of ot the time I railroads fr from m their current financial finan finan- financial cial plight The rhe favored plan Includes in includes In In- I 1 extension of oC federal control control con under the time ICO ICa to er co all I forms of ot transportation 2 association assocIation asso asso- elation of ot ph planning prevention and I ordination co-ordination on with the regulatory functions 3 dismissal compensation I tion B system stem plus retirement pen pen- pensions i slows so that the railroads without Infringing upon Ullon labor rights can cnn I take advantage e of mechanical improvements im lam- IrO and saving labor devices devices de lIe- vices Ices to reduce labor costs and andi 4 i t financial re reorganization reorganisation I The first alternative plan combined com corn limed the Eastman plan with the I compulsory consolidation of AmerIcan American American Amer Amer- ican railroads Into seven systems two in the tho Fast East two In the South I and three In the time West The other advocated nd out and out government purchase and ownership of all railroads rail rall- roads mads this In Mr Ir Eastman's opInIon Ion held heM the greatest rca test opportunity t for good and the time greatest ch chances chance for harm He lIe did not think that thai the American people were read ready to accept it now and did lid not favor the addition to the already gigantic list of government expenditures atthe at nt atthe the present time In approving the unification of ol transportation the time President recalled recalled recalled re re- re- re called that when the Interstate Commerce commission was created In the rail railroad rood was practically practical practical- ly the principal method of rapid Interstate Interstate interstate In In- transportation Since that time this monopoly of tation ta- ta tion enjoyed enjo ed by the time railroad to avery a n avery nver ver very Important degree has been limited by b the development de of the automobile and good Interstate roads Recently water transportation by like lake by river rIvet by canal and b by ocean has IMS largely through the time construction construction construction con con- of the Panama canal and our inland waterways wn definitely brought ships and shipping Into the general Interstate field More recently re reo recently still air transportation has become an element clement Dwelling more upon the aeronautical aeronautical element of the reports the President said There are detailed questions that require early earl early action Our extended mail mall contracts contracts contracts con con- tracts with airlines expire on or about March 1 1 and existing legislation legislation legislation legis legis- lation dealing with primary or secondary secondary secondary sec sec- routes should be revised before before before be be- fore that time The commission suggests that the Interstate Commerce commission commIssion commis commIs- commission sion be temporarily given the power to lower or increase mall air rates as warranted In their judgment after full Investigation The purpose purpose purpose pur pur- pose of ot this Is to prevent the destruction destruction de lIe- of oC any efficiently operated part of ot the present system pending suitable consideration by bythe the congress con con- press gress of what permanent measures should be taken and what amendment amendment amend amend- ment If any the present general transportation policy p Hc of the government government govern govern- ment meat should undergo I concur In tills this recommendation of the Federal Aviation commission provided prO always that hint the grant of this dut huts duty to time the Interstate Commerce Commerce Com Com- merce commission be subject to provisions pro pro- visions against unreasonable profit by i y nn any private carrier On account of jf the fact that an nn essential during this his temporary period Is to provide pro for the continuation of ot efficiently operated companies and to guard against their destruction it Is only fair to suggest that during this pe- pe period lod an any profits at nil all b by such corn corn- Panics should be n a secondary con con- Government Go aid tIll in this case ase Is le legitimate In order to save companies from rom disastrous loss but not lot In order to provide profits Report Slaps Farley The report of the commission was wasa wasi a i direct sump slap at Postmaster General Gen- Gen eral T Tres es A. A Fancy's s power lOWer proposing pro pro- posing losing to strip him of every ery estl vestige e of if control over oyer aIrways of the cOlin cotin- try ry It was found that several of time the Important companies were tot- tot tottering very ly nearly upon the brink blink of if bankruptcy because of or the ridiculously ridic- ridic low bids they were forced to make male to secure air mall coi contracts con con- tracts The aviation commission proposes propose vesting the handling of air nil subs subsidies subsidies dies entirely in the proposed sed A All Air Commerce commission while tl the tho President favors simply turnIng them thorn over o to the already functioning function function- Ing ICE Whichever plan Is adopt adopt- adopted ed the ruling commission would d decide de de- clde cide cJ e which of the airlines were 1 In Inthe inthe the public interest these it would woul license for service ser and would ai arrange arrange ar- ar range the time details In each case c of whatever subsidy seemed to be necessary ne essary to secure these lines from loss The Time commission asks that tha provisions of the present aIrmail i laws be extended by emergency legislation until January 1 I 1036 1030 Expiring on March 1 I sonic some of these provisions it Is said would woul force the breal breakup break up of several exist exist- existIng Ing lug lines Ostensibly to prevent monopoly the present resent mall air air m mall lI law stipulates stipulate that no company may ma hold more mor than three air mall mail contracts an anno and no operator can hold two primary route contracts after acter March 1 1 1 Transportation authorities whose notable spokesman of recent days clays has been Prof Hampton K Snell of the University of Montana be believed be- be Jle that dint the f field el should he be limited to a few strong air systems s stems as fundamental fundamental fundamental funda funda- mental for best hest development cheapest cheap cheap- est and most efficient service Air Transport Service Despite all nil the time alleged alle ell han handicaps handicap to service there are today approximately matel 28 OS miles of regularly operated op op- crated air transport routes In the tin United States There Is an average e eor of or 1 plane miles niiles scheduled to be n flown by all lines In n the thi United States Stales every clay lav Scheduled Scheduled Sched Sched- air lines serve directly 71 o othe of the time 90 00 G metropolitan districts In tin time United States counting as a n metropolitan metro metro- poman politan district an nn area aren ln ha having ann an at n aggregate population of or 01 more and containing one or mon mor more central cities of or more mon Inhabitants Air travel has lias grown rown In phenomenal phe phe- leaps and bounds withIn the time last eight years jears Air lines Inthe In Ir the time United States carried approximately possen passengers ers in 1020 1 6 In Ir 1034 this figure had multiplied times to approximately f Express and aDd mail carriage have increased at a similar rate rote Perhaps the most spectacular of ill all the recommendations of the I Federal Fed ed- ed eral oral Aviation commission was In vision Islon of huge lingo built American dirigible di- di air liners liner plying In re regular ular service across the seas sens It was adream adream a n dream that had mad these giant air levIathans cruising the great reat Pacific Pa- Pa to many parts of Asia Funds like hike the funds for so many proposed new governmental go adv adventures en tures ures were to come out nut of the much much- discussed work worl fund which President Roosevelt Hoose has hns asked congress congre to appropriate for hIs ils direct personal administration Time The commission sa said in Its report Airship construction should be bes s started farted promptly in order to afford much needed auch needed employment this win win- ter er Sink Millions in n Dirigibles The Time United States navy y has lias nl al- al ready eady sunk millions upon millions of f dollars In the construction of dl- dl and the time latest of these millions sunk sank Into the time Pacific with the he Macon on February 1 12 The Shenandoah cost co t tho the R S the time Akron kron S S.- S. 00 this includes the cost of build build- In lug ig the Zeppelin Goodyear car Zeppelin hangar ar arnt nt at t Akron Ohio and the Macon The Los An Angeles eles cost costic the ic nation nothing being received from rom In the treaty of Vcr Vcr- sallies lilies oddly enough It Is the only one ne we have ha left I INow No Now v the whole plan of ot airship construction instruction seems likely to be shelved The rho Macons Macon's cr crash h. h while the ie alert action of Com Corn Herbert Herert Her- Her bert hert ert V. V Wiley with the co operation co-operation of r ships In the United States battle fleet held the loss of life down n to tonly only two members of the crew has hns just about convinced a n lar large e share of officials that hint the United States tate simply cannot build and operate overate air air- ships ups I I G a. NO Nowr- Nowr ocr Union |
