The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-03-13
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certain. writes Agnes c. Iaut in New York Sun.
Can 1t be done7 To what can We turn
0.OO0 machines and $4,000 men that will give re-
turns at nll commensurate with the enormous out
lay? Hadn't we better figure all the outlay up
and charge II to and 1t go at that, and not
break more necks7 That is the practical mans
attitude; and the airplane manufacturers attitude
is just what the motor manufacturers was ten
years ago.
As well ask to what use can we put our fve mill
lion output Of mOtorcars1 How we use air.
planes in practical everyday lfe7 Here II the air
plane mans answer and when you have pondered
1t you will not count very many arplanes going
to waste or to spare:
Some Of the Possibilities.
Fast mail, fast express, light rush freight, such
as perishable foods; fast transcOntinental and
ocean passenger service. Joy riding. sightseeing to
places inaccessible by rail- such as the upper
reaches of Grand Canyon or the Holy Land or
the sacred city of Tibet: coast guard and revenue
patrol. ocean survey work. weather bureau work.
exploration such across the pole or the hot
tropical forests Of Africa and South America
which would not be hot by the air route boundary
patrol. patrol or power lines and oil lines and gas
lines. bIrdseye sightseeing Of cities country to
city committing patrol of forests for fires first aid
In medical work. quick relief in such catastrophes
as flood, fires earthquakes; life saving at seq In
case Of wreck, carrying supplies to inaccessible
mines such those In the Klondike the
Coppermine river or In deserts where lack of
water bars out man and beast; mountain climbing
on wings, military and naval reconnaissance.
For all these purposes no right of way Is re-
quired. no rails, no grading. Both extreme heat
and extreme cold can be avoided. Any one Of these
manifold would absorb every airpane now
engaged for All the uses combined would de-
mand and absorb as many airpanes as there are
motorcars-say 100000 for this country alone.
At this stage. the practical man has a touch Of
aerial vertigo. He is too polite to tear his hair
out In handfus; but-well. he interrupts with,
"Show mel"
Very well. Take mails. Mails are already being
carried between New York and Washington, and
New York and Chicago; and II all the war planes
are absorbed for mail use 1000 of them al.
ready have been assigned mails will be carried
before the end Of 1919 between all the leading
cities of the United States.
Is this mail business going to be practical? VIII
II pay2 VIII 1t snve. say, some money, well
time? The rate talked of just now is 16 cents an
ounce. i3 cents a mile for 20 pounds which Is
vague that 1t leaves you all up in the air to
ultimate charges. This scale Is absurdy high.
During the experimental period 1t is all right.
but when aerial mail routes are as common rail
mail routes. how about charges7
Profits In the Aerial Mail.
Here you are in the realm of pure speculation,
hut basing your speculation on facts, the govern
ment could do more than save time. 1t could save
money and make Oodles of money by the air mail
route. Suppose the charge is % cents a pound,
which is cheaper than our letter rate today
Land machines as Mt present constructed can
carry Mt least half their own weight, but that
war requirements are past their construction can
be changed TO improve vastly on that. They will
not need machine guns. They will not need bombs
They will not need devices for quick ascent or
terrific velocity or head-on impetus and impact In
case of a charge head to head They will dispense
with all war equipment. That will give carrying
capacity for other work.
Hut take even tie present proportion One ma