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HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM    93

York today is suffering from the lack of additional airports and doing very little about moving to relieve themselves of what, within the next few years, will become a terrific bind on accepting more air traffic into an overcrowded traffic pattern. 

Mr. PUCINSKI. Senator, we have every reason to believe, on the basis of the present census figures, that by 1970 the area known as Metropolitan Chicago will have a population of 10.5 million people. It will be the biggest industrial complex in the whole world, and it is going to need at least these two airfields. Our southside industry has been pleading with us to reactivate Midway because of what it is costing industry not to have that airport going. 

Senator MONRONEY. It is not just your industry and your population. It is the population of everything east and northeast of Chicago and west and southwest of Chicago that has to funnel through Chicago oftentimes in order to get to its destination. 

Mr. PUCINSKI. Senator, you make a much better witness than I do. Thank you very much. 

Senator MONRONEY. I might come up running in your district. On the other hand, I wouldn't try to run against you, I assure you, anybody who takes care of its constituency as you do. We thank you very much for your appearance here. we will be interested in hearing the Chicago helicopter group. 
Thank you very much. 

Mr. PUCINSKI. Thank you very much, Senator. 

Senator MONRONEY. Mr. Cannon? 

Senator CANNON. I am a little puzzled by your last statement:

I urge you to support the Civil Aeronautics Board in this matter. 

Part of the CAB's recommendation was that subsidy be terminated, and they have ordered your company to show cause why it should not be terminated. You don't support that position, I take it?

Mr. PUCINSKI. Of course not. The CAB is on record, I believe, in recommending that this program be extended on a phaseout basis for the next 5 years, that is the portion of the program that I certainly would be supporting. 

I would not want Chicago Helicopter, or anybody else, to think that they are going to get a subsidy ad infinitum for the next 20 or 30 years. Our problem is an immediate one, and we would like to  have this program continued for at least that period to give us a chance to crank in Midway and put CHA on a pay-as-you-go basis. 

Senator CANNON. I thought that was the thrust of your statement. 

Mr. PUCINSKI. I am very grateful to you for calling it to my attention. 

Senator CANNON. CA B's position represented that they had issued an order to show cause why they should not be terminated now, because they were worried about an unfavorable position vis-a-vis the other two operations that had substantially increased and had substantially reduced their subsidy. 

Mr. PUCINSKI. I am grateful to the Senator for calling my attention to this distinction. 

senator CANNON. One other point that might be made here perhaps by the oversaturation of your airports in Chicago. It may force the trunkline carriers into better nonstop service from coast to coast for