Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-09
FEARS
END OF AERIAL
N ALL SERVICE
Attitude of Congress in Cur
failing Appropriations Crit
icized by Assistant Post
master General.

Unless congressman change theii
| attitude, yesterdays celebration OF
the extension from Chicago to
Omaha of the aerial mail service Is
likely to prove not only the end OF
the great transcontinental air mai
route, but the finish of the American
mail service itself, according to As
s;stant Postmaster General Otto
Praeger, who came to Omaha yesef,,
day morning to witness the arrival
Of the first mail plane.
II am informed" Mr.. Preagef
said, that the house committee on
postoffices and postroads, which or,
iginates the Postoffice department,
appropriations, has refused-and
newspapers say by a strictly party
vote-to increase the air mail ap-
preparation beyond what it is fof
the present fiscal year.
THAT appropriation, $3.50, $40. per-
mits us to maintain and operate a
route only from Washington to
New York, and from New York to
Chicago, the year through, with an
operation for but a part Of the year
from Chicago to Omaha and part
of the year from Minneapolis-St.
Paul to St. Louis if all things go
we'll with the service.
Plans Daily Service.
The plans of the Postofflce de-
partnlent for the ensuing fiscal year
called for daily air mail service
from the Atlantic to the Pacific IN
50 hours against 90 IL hours by rail
from Pittsburgh to Kansas City in
10:4O hours against 24.5O hours by
rail; from New York to Atlanta in
II hours instead of 26:l5 hours by
rail- and from the Twin Cities to
St. Louis in 7 IL hours instead OF
20:35 hours by rail.
81 have been furnished unofflclally
with two reasons why the appro-
priation for the air mail has not
been increased for this proposed ex-
tention: One is>ttat congressman
want to save money to the people,
and the other is that they want to
let separate department of air, In
stead of the Postoffice department,
operate the air mail in the future.
"Ce<tainly this attitude cannot
have been taken on the ground OF
economy, because in the estimates
furnished congress the cost of the
proposed transcontinental service,
with all its feeders, would not ex
coed the savings made by the reduc-
ton in the cost of distribution on
trains by 100000 per year. AS
fact, the air mail has been operated
now for nearly one year and eight
far below all estimates OF
operation, and the estimated $1,000
900 extension of service would not
cost the government cent more
than the cost OF train distribution
which the airplane would displace.
To Starve Air Service.
But the most inexplicab1e rea-
son given is that it has been de-
cided not to increase the air mail ap
beyond what it is for the
fiscal year, because it is proposed to
create department of air which
would operate the air mail. Now it
happens that all the bills for de-
partment Of air give such depart
tnent no money for operating an air
mail service Of any kind, but pro-
vide that the proposed department of
air shall take over from the Post
office department, the army, the
navy and any other department
which it would supercede their re-
spective appropriations for air op-
erations. SO if congress starves or
holds down the appropriations for
their departments it to that extent
starves the proposed new depart
nent of air. Congress in effect
would say: You shall have no air
nail to the Pacific coast because it
wants to pass legislation creating a
department. of air. Can anybody see
my connection between cause and
effect in this illogical attitudee
Il might say here that the pro-
posed department of air is not de-
signed to develop commercial avia-
ion, but to combine and make more
if possible, our military
leronautics by the creation of a
ONT land and naval army of the
.ir. The Postoffice department does
lot hesitate to advise the public
low that if the operation of the
ir mail is taken out of the hands
# the Postoffice department, it will
meet with a speedy death-and all |
# the splendid rapid service that
he Postoffice department has Gre
ted through the air mail will be |
ost."