Mohave County miner and our mineral wealth., 1919-01-18
PROGRESS BEING MADE BY J. s. GOVERNMENT WITH
 AERIAL POSTAL SERVICE

The Post Office Department author izes the following:
 Important progress in preparation for the New York Chicago air-mail service was announced Saturday by the Post Office Department. While Otto Praeger, Second Assistant Post master General, in charge of aerial exact date on which the Atlantic Sea- board Great Lakes route will be in op- eration, he declared that through plans for the utilization of war mater ial as far as possible and the modifi- cation of unsatisfactory equipment should be completed within a few weeks and that flights would be made on schedule.
 "Very few persons realize what an undertaking this is," said MT. Praeg- CT. "Never has trip by air been un- dertaken whereby ship leaves for an S00-mile voyage, one each way a day, flying over mountains with very few landing places-an undertaking which six months ago would have been re- garded absolutely impossible. When you consider that this is being done with single-motored plane the task is stupendous. This has never been at tempted, either in America nor in any other country of the world, and great credit is due to the organization un- dertaking it.
 Through the absence of the fullest degree of cooperation the New York Chicago air mail service was deprived of essential support. Our experi- ments demonstrated that military con- struction, especially the type available last December, was neither safe nor economical for mail purposes and the Post Office Department, with full ap- preciation of the deslrabillty of utiliz- ing all material let over from the war, is endeavoring to work out system whereby there can be developed ship capable of carrying at least 25O pounds of mail and yet afford the pilot the maximum of safety.
 "A military plane is designed for military purposes, not mail or com merce. It's weight distribution is faulty, when it comes to carrying let ters, and the hope in the future is to have in the New York Chicago service machine provided with a distinct de- partment. This will do away with the makeshift of using the gunner's cock pit. The reason we have had success Tn the service between New York and Washington is that training planes and not fighting ships have been available.
 "When the New York Chicago ser vice is resumed we expect to have low compression Liberty engines, rather than the high-compression, military type. This is point now being worked out. The high-compression motor is designed for altitude work; in carrying the mails we fly at com paratively low height and so require motor that functions efficiently at the proper level.
 "The Post Office Department feels that it will be possible to use much of the military equipment, though the fuselage and landing gear of available army planes must be strengthened or altered to meet commercial conditions This work is under way. With re- gard to motive power, which caused some trouble at the start of the New York Chicago service, the Post Office Department has on it's staff the most competent Liberty motor mechanics and, in addition, has the help of expert mechanics and riggers placed at oul disposal by the airplane industry.
 Further preparations also are be. ing made along the New York Chicago route. The department has establish. ed five landing fields and emergency stops for the 800-odd miles. Leaving Belmont Field, N. Y., the air-mail pilot will have an emergency haven al Lehighton, Pa., 105 miles distant One hundred and fifteen miles farther he will have regular stop at Bele. | fonte. Pa.