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320|HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM STATEMENT OF THE HONORABLE PAUL H. DOUGLAS, U.S. SENATOR FROM THE STATE OF ILLINOIS Senator DOUGLAS. I do not have a prepared statement. I think it is well known to the committee that I have been a strong advocate of economy in most measures of government. And it might seem that I am placed in a somewhat embarrassing position now in connection with the helicopters. I will simply say this: We have suffered a great many blows in Chicago in this last year in the removal of military installations and procurement agencies from the city. This has created not only a loss of positions, but we well know that the procurement officials tend to give contracts to the firms in close proximity to them so that they will not have to travel as far and work as hard. We think that Chicago has been hit very severely. We have lost every military procurement agency that we formerly had. The city is in difficult straits. I will not go into the technical question as to whether the period of experimentation has been long enough. I will have to do what may seem to be humiliating but necessary to ask you to consider Chicago with mercy and temper the wind with the shorn lamb. Senator MONRONEY. We are certainly in sympathy with aiding this great transportation center. As a matter of fact, the sympathy we would show, Senator Douglas, is to ourselves because after all we are the users of this center, the 50 States. It is probably the hub of most of the transportation to and from the east and west coast and all the great interior points. It was that way in the railroad era. It is that way in the air era. The likelihood of the reestablishment of Midway as a major airport-- Senator DOUGLAS. That is welcome news, for Midway. Senator MONRONEY. For Midway to be connected with O'Hare, and I would hope with better helicopter terminal facilities than you now have downtown. While you were out of the room I mentioned the fact that I was shocked to find that the Federal Aviation Agency will not permit single-engine helicopters to land on Grant Park, although the city had offered that ground. They are forced to use distant Meigs Field, which I would presume from the Palmer House would be about $1.50 taxicab ride. Senator DOUGLAS. At least. Senator MONRONEY. If you are going to spend $1.50 to get to the heliport, then spend another $10 to get to the airport, the customer is going to say, "Shucks, I will take the taxicab and go the whole way." Senator DOUGLAS. There used to be a fear of big cities. We were supposed to be wealthy, and dominating over the lives of the rest of the Americans. Cities are now in great difficulties, and the life of a metropolitan city depends in part upon its ability to attract and to hold businesses. We have suffered such severe blows that I hope very much that you will consider these factors. Senator MONRONEY. If we are able to save one, we will save all, because the cities having the services we feel are the foremost in the Nation requiring it; that is New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles. We also feel that Washington should be entitled to this service because of the fourth largest air traffic volume which it generates, the
