Minutes 08/12/1941 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

port ourposes may be obtained by ~oplication to the Administrator of Civil Aeronautics~ Deoartment of Com- merce and to the Director of Aeronauti~s~ State Cot - ooration Commission of Virginia~ ~he State Director, Allan C. Perkinson~ has already been of much assists~uce and has expressed to our co-mit- tee the desire to see this airport developed as fully as oossible~ Seven Virginia cities ac far have been designated ~y the National Aeronautics Board for ~irport development at a cos~ of 2½ million dollars. (7) ~e are infoz~ed ~at many more airports are needed for Nat- ions! Defense sm~d will be sought by the Navy, A~ay and Nat- ional Aeronautics Board. Business concerns and private individuals are now using this me,ns of transportation in increasing n'~bers~ many flying their o~m planes. To obtain Federal aid for Civil airports, case of National emergency~ it is necessary, as we have been merce~ that the land be municipally owned. The Mayor of the which could be commandeered in advised by the Department of Com- City makes application for this aid. In our National Defense program, tD~ Government, tlmrou~n the Civil Aeronau- tics Authority~ is bearing the expense of non-college stude~ training, a program that is being sponsored in most instsnces by Chambers of Commerce. A large number of students have been trained under this progrmm at Newport News mud Norfolk. The Superintendent of Schools of Ports- mouth has been approached on ~b~s subject s~d has manifested much interest. The Cb~amber of - ~-~ *~ ta~ ~a~ ¢~ this non-collegiate student training for Portsmouth and Commerce nas app~z~ ~. .... %%~ --~ -- .~: 3 -. ¥~ - ~ v ~ - '~oE~ has been advised that the ~oplzoatzon Selection of Portsmouth as a location for non-college unit of training~ we are advised, will be based upon population, AIRPORT F.~CILITIES, availability responsible flight operators, with necessary e~3ipment and personnel; and public interest. A group of young men and youn~ women, numbering about seventy-five, have organized the Tidewater Flying Corps, limiting their me.~ers~p to this number because of lim- ited facilities. ~ois is an enthusiastic group and should have the fullest co-operation and e~c~_uragemenz that can be given. Securing the Civilian Pilot training progrs~ we are seeking would be a great help~as many would be eligible for this training who otherwise will be unable ~o obtain it. Assistant Secretavy of Commerce, Robert H. H~nckly speaking on the need for a vastly enlarged National system Of airporzs.on February 20, 194~, $aid in part: "It is high time we took another hard look az the ~ tuation. We need a tre- mendous number of airports now, for National Defense. After the emergency, we will need farmore of %*,em for a vastly expanded civi% aviation. If they,re planned and built right, airports last a long time. The investment ~ost of these airports must be properly distributed, and they must be ola~ued for long-range civil use a~ welffz as emergency militar~ use, if they are to end up As so~nd investments." We respectfully submit that in our opinion it is i%oortam, t that immediate attention be given t?&s matter. To that end~ we request that a committee from your honorable body be appointed to meet with the Chamber of Commerce airport committee to study the informa- tion and data at ~d~ and make recommendation for action to the Council. Respeot~uzly suomzt~ed¢ Portsmouth C_h~ber of Commerce Geo. O.'Diggs, President.f~ Eotion of Mr. Howard to appoint a committee, including the ~cting ~,~yor mud the City Manager to confer with a committee from the Ohamber of Commerce, on this subject, was adopted. TheChair sDpointed i~[essrs. Hall, Lawrence and Hutchins on said committee. The follo%~ng communications from the City Manager were read: 1st - "I-am attaching hereto a letter from T. A~ '¢iilett, Chairman of the Portsmouth Defense Recreation Committee, concerning the ~opointment of a recreation director for a period of one year, and longer if the need should justify. On June 24th, 1941, the Council ~oproved the recommendation of the Portsmouth Defense Co~%tte~ and the City Ms~ager to ~re ..Such a dir~ctor~u~a~e~p~r~ia~ tion for the first'six montnso However, the City Manager was given ~o un~er~u.~ ~na~ rector would a ct as director of the proposed' ~ecreation center and would have U.S.O. funds at his disoosalo Due to tb~ fact that thi¢ understsCuding has not proved to be correct, the City Ms, age'has not yet employed a director, mdd feels that ~his matter should be brought before the Council again. I respectfully request t?~.t the Cb~irmsm of the Portsmouth Defense P. ecreation Committee be allowed the privilege of explaining their program and %he reason for the committee's recommendation." ~nc!~sure - "The Portsmouth Defense Recreation 0ommittee met last Thursday afternoon and discussed quite at length the urgent need for properly planned and s~oervised recreation in our City for the enlisted personnel and defense workers. Our committee feels that it is uo to our 0ity to provide the necessary oersonnel to t~ke cD~rge of this work at once; therefore, we are asking that you take this up with the City Council - asking them to give you the authority to employ a recreation director