PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 December 1937, Page 7

PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS

ALLEGED MONOPOLY.

[BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

WASHINGTON, December 9. A series of criticisms of the alleged monopoly of Pan American Airways marked the opening of the battle for the “freedom of the air.” Witnesses before the merchant ma< rine committee ofjhe House of Representatives, which urges that the control of trans-oceanic aviation should be transferred to \ the United States Maritime Commission, asserted that\ Post Office control tended to preserve the monopoly. Mr. John Slater, executive vicepresident of the Export Steamship Corporation, declared that, man-made obstacles were preventing shipping companies from entering the air? j“I do ; not wish to detract from the Pan American Company’s developmental work," he said, “but I find no precedent for rewarding a pioneer company with a.monopoly/’‘ '• Mr. Joseph P. Kennedy, chairman of the Maritime Commission, speaking before the Senate- J 'coiffmittee, ‘ urged that trans-oceanic aircraft should be given construction and operating subsidies in the same way as shipping. He said the foreign trade service-of., the future would be integratedas an air and water service, .in which -fast passenger traffic and-.express- cargowould travel by air, and slow passenger traffic and heavy cargo by water. “This will be far less S' costly than luxury ocean liner' services,” he added.