Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-09
FOUR NEW AIR
ROUTES PLAN
TO SPEED MAIL
BurIeson Says Appropriations
of $3,OOO,OOO Are Needed
for Service.
INDIANAPOLIS ON MAP

WASHINGTON, Jan. 0.-Four new
aerial mall routes, to link the important
cities of the country from coast to coast.
viii be established II congress grants an
appropriation OF $30oO,0OO Postmaster
General Burleson stated today. A hfth
route is under contemplation, but has
not yet been given the approval of the
rostoffice department.
The new routes, as outlined by Burle-
son in letter 10 the congressional post
bifice committee are:
Chicago to San Francisco, thus giving &
aerial mail service from New York to
the Pacific coast.
Pittsburg to Kansas city, via Cincin-
natl, indianapolis and st. Louis.
New York to Atlanta by an extension
from Washington.
Minneapolis and st. Paul to st. Louis,
via Chicago.
The other route now being investi-
gated is by hydroplane down the Mis-
sissippi river from st. Louis to New
Orleans, with stops at Cairo, Memphis
and Vicksburg.
Ss2, 900 900 LETTERS
To BE SPEEDED UP.
Burleson estimated that the transpor-
tation of SS2, 100000 letters would be
greatly speeded up by the extension.
The new routes would reduce nearly
one-half the mail time between the cities
aand are In addition to the lines already
in operation from washington to New
York, New York to Cleveland, Cleveland
to Chicago.
! II the route from New York to the
Pacific coast is put into operation, the
mail time will be reduced from ninety
hours and thirty minutes westbound and
The Pittsburg- Kansas City route
would mean that mail leaving Pennsyl-
vania at Z a. m. could be delivered In
Indianapolis and Cincinnati in the fore
noon, St Louis at noon and Kansas City
I'm the afternoon. The present railroad
time is twenty four hours and nifty min
utes, while the flying would be ter
hours and forty minutes. Mall between
Kentucky. Tennessee, Missouri, Kansas
and Southwestern states would be ad-
yanced twelve to twenty -four hours
REDUCTION BETWEEN TWIN
CITIES AND ST. LOUIS.
The airplane wonld reduce the mail
/ time between the Twin Cities and st
Louis from 20 hours and 35 minutes ia
seven hours and so minutes. saving one
4 business day between the northwest and
southwest and 10 hours in the delivery
of mail from Chicago.
Atlanta service would feduce the mail
time about IL hours and 80 minutes
while the Mississippi river hydroplanS
service would mean the delivery OF St
Louis and New Orleans letters in Mem.
phis IN the afternoon Of their mailing sn-
stead Of the following morning as is
done How.~
There has suddenly arisen" Burle.
son said, through the epoch making In
vention Of the airplane a mail trans
portatlon that viii eut--in half the fast.
est railroad time between our CONNER.
cial centers, yet so critical has congress
been OF the utilization of the airplane foI
natl service that the postoffice depart
ment refrains from recommending the
establishment OF other important routes
because 1t is as yet impossible to show
on them substantial saving in the cost
Apf railway transportation and distribu-
ltion," Burleson said.
"The postofflce department has always
taken the position that when American
| capital Is ready TO enter the aerial trans
port field 1t viii be glad to advertise
for contracts for carrying mail by air
/ planes or airships over such routes as
viii greatly improve the service and
show a relatively substantial reduction
in the transportation and distribution
/ Of mail by train"