Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1919-03-13
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certain. writes Agnes c. Laut in New York Sun.
Gan 1t be done? To what uses can we turn
oOoo machines and 10000 men that will give re-
turns at all commensurate with the enormous out
iays hadn't we better figure all the outlay up
ana chargeSit to and let it go at that and not
Dleah more necks? That is the practical mans
alutude; 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 five mil
non output OF motorcars? How can we use air.
planes in practical everyday life? Here is the ali.
plane man s answer, and when you have pondered
~ you VIII not count very many airplanes going
10 waste or to spare:
Some of the Possibilities.
fasr mall fast express, light rush freight, such
as perlshable foods; fast transcontnental and
ocean passenger service, joy riding sightseeing to
places inaccessible by rail, such as the upper
reaches OF Grand Canyon the Holy Land or
the sacred city OF Tibet; coast guard and revenue
patro, ocean survey work, weather bureau work.
exploration, such across the pole or the hot
troplcal forests of Africa and South America,
when would not be hot by the air route; boundary
patrol patrol or power lines and oil lines and gas
hnes blrds-eye sightseeing of cities, country to
CITY committing patrol Of forests for fires first aid
III lneulcal work, quick relief in such cataStrophes
as Hood fires, earthquakes; life saving at sea in
case Oh wreck, carrying supplies to inaccessible
mines such as those in the Klondike or on the
water bars out man and beast; mountain climbing
on wings, military and naval reconnaissance
hof al tnese purposes no right of way is re-
CURED, no rails no grading. Both extreme heat
and extreme cold can be avoided Any one of these
manifold uses would absorb every airplane now
engaged for war. All the uses combined would de-
mand and absorb many airplanes as there are
motorcars-say 100000 for this country alone
AT TINS stage the practical man has a touch Of
aeflal vertigo He is too polite to tear his hair
out IN handfuls; but-wel he interrupts with.
"Show me!'
Very well. Take mails. Mails are already being
carried between New York and Washington and
New York and Chicago; and if all the war pIanes
are absorbed for mail use, as 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? will
1t pay? Will it save, say, some money az well ms
time? The rate talked of just now is 16 cents an
ounce, OR AZ cents mile for 20 pounds which is
SO vague that it leaves you all up in the air as to
ultimate charges This scale is abslrdly high
During the experimental period it is all right,
but When aerial mail routes are as common as rail
mail routes, how about charges?
Profits in the Aerial Mail.
Here you are in the realm of pure specuIaton
but, basing your speculation on facts the govern
ment could do more than save time. 1t could save
money and make coolies of money by the air mail
route. Suppose the charge is % cents pound,
which is cheaper than our letter rate today
Land machines as at present constructed can
carry at least half their own weight but now tina
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.
But take even the present proportion. One ma