The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-12-06
MORE MAIL TRANSPORTATION

The volume of mail carried during the year was greater than ever before, says the report in commenting upon the sur plus earned, which it places at more than double the greatest profit ever found by the department previously. War activity in private business not alone grew, but the government itself put a tremendous burden of matter into the mails from the new efforts which it built up. Post masters and rostoffice facilities alike were used for war service that ranged from the registration of aliens to the sale of thrift stamps and government bonds.
 In the United States 123 branch post offices were established at camps and cantonments to deliver mail to the troops. Censorship boards were established at nearly all ports of exit from the United States, in connection with military operations, and 1900 employees were en gagged in censoring approximately 125,ooO pieces of mail daily during most of the period covered by the report. AERIAL MAIL EXTENSION A very wide extension of the aerial mail service has been planned, the re- port indicates and outlines are given for four routes, two of which extend out side the United States.
 "The truck line and feeders decided upon for the aerial mail,a the post master general says, after describing ex- perimental operations between Washing ton, New York and Philadelphia, 'un- der the present programme are: .1. New York to San Francisco. with feeders from (a) Chicago to St. Louis, (b) Chicago to St. Paul and Minneapolis (c) Cleveland to Pittsburg.
 '2 Boston to Key West, with feed- CTS from (a) Philadelphia to Pittsburg, (b) Washington to Cincinnati. Co Atlanta to New Orleans.
 "s Key West, via the West Indies, to South America
 s.The postoffid -tnnent only awaits the day when rcraft production of this countr aore than supply the needs of O. l@n army and those of our allies to make effective the pro- gramme for aerial mail that I have df- rected to be put into operation as speedily as the war conditions will per- init" Mr Burleson continues. He points out that planes for the overseas service decided upon must be powerful, fltteo with wireless, and of special construction, and declares that the commercial advan- gate resulting from the expected reduc- ton in the time of communication be- tween South and Central America VIII justify the expense
 TRUCK LINES PRACTICABLE
 
 Duscussing the rural truck lines. and the expected requirement by the de- partment of many hundreds of war trucks the report says that the commerc1al and economic advantage of the service are evident, and it's extension desirable The transmission of food products from farms to urban centers is particularly facilitated by the motorized parcels post lines.
 Due to enlistments and high wages in outside service, 907s postal employees left government employment during the year the report says, necessitating extra eff forts in training substitutes. Of the number leaving the service 4S9S resigned for other employment. or l2.4 per cent of the entire force. but the report says that increased pay, and overtime allow ances made under new laws will guar antee the maintenance of an efficient force.
 Postal savings bank deposits increased S1e. .516.SO3 during the year, raising tht total of these deposits to s14S,471, 4S9.