September 1, 1960
Ft. Stockton Draws Out of the Movement
In a surprise move Tuesday night Fort Stockton pulled out of a movement, instigated by Marfa, Alpine and Stockton, to keep Trans-Texas Airways flying in this area. Sound of the last flight overhead had barely faded into oblivion before it was announced that a petition will be sent to the Civil Aeronautics Board, within the week, asking that the board reconsider the recent directive suspending service here and at Ft. Stockton.
The group, which met in Fort Stockton Tuesday night, heard from an attorney E. H. Pickering of Fort Worth, who has been employed to fight the suspension. Coming out of the meeting was a telegram to CAB asking that suspension be reconsidered, at least until the group has had time to present its petition, which Pickering is drawing up at this time.
The withdrawal of Fort Stockton will greatly enhance chances of Marfa-Alpine to retain service, according to Pickering. He added, however, that chances are no better than 50-50 at this late date. The last flight of Trans-Texas winged over Marfa late Wednesday afternoon, headed from El Paso to San Angelo. Whether flights will be resumed today, as a result of the telegram asking a stay of action by the CAB, will not be known until time for the westbound flight to El Paso, at 1 p.m.
The local TTA office was unattended early Thursday morning. Harrv J. Hubbard, president of the Highland Chamber of Commerce, Inc., who represented Marfa at the Fort Stockton meeting, added that Pickering told representatives present that chances were very slim for a reversal of the CAB ruling.
However, he added that chances of renewed service were much better with the withdrawal of Fort Stockton. Stockton representatives stated that they could see no future increase in boardings, due mainly to discontinuance of use of the service by Firestone Tire Co., one of the principal users of the airline. In the past Firestone stated that scheduling was inconvenient for future use of Trans-Texas.
For this reason Stockton representatives stated that they could not warrant asking for continued service on the basis of possible increase in travel. Pickering also stated that an effort will be made to get a hearing for Marfa-Alpine at the Southwestern Area local Service case hearings, which will be railed in the immediate future. These hearings have been set up by the CAB to review all airlines serving the vast Southwest. He added that an effort will also be made to get a hearing in Washington, before the full CAE group.