The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-02-21
M X IL 33,600,00O LETTERS EACH DAY
 IN UNITED STATES
Speaker at Postal Convention StartIeS Hearers With Big Figures-14,0 ,000, ,000,-
 900 Stamps Are Sold

Some startling figures were hand ed to the postal convention delegates yesterday when the Third Assistant Postmaster General declared that 93,600, 900 letters were mailed every day in the United States that there were I4.000, 0000 900 stamps sold an nually and that 57,0o0,0 900 special de- livery stamps were sold each year.
 "The railway mail service is the backbone of all mail transportation" declared Col. Paul Henderson, Second Assistant Postmaster General Tues day afternoon when he addressed 1,500 postal workers of Alabama at the First Methodist church at the first postal conference-convention ever held in this state on the subject of postal transportation.
 The service is a tremendous one. made up of minute details, and 1 shall only talk of the most important branches of transportation. There arc three distinct systems, namely, the transportation Of mail In Alaska, the slowest of all. This work is ac- eomplished by pressing dog teams into service, mules, and sometimes only man with a mail pouch on his back. From this extreme there Is the alrplane mail service, operating from New York city to San Francisco. At present this service consists of a re- lay advance of mall from New York city across the continent and vice versa. When mail falls to reach a train in one city it is transported in an airplane to the next city. and there placed on the scheduled train, reaching it's destination several hours ahead of the other trains. We do not take any certain mail across the con- tinent, but relay it along the route. In order to perfect the airplane mail service, we must have flying at night, and now a lighted route Is being es- tablished between Chicago. Ill.,, and Cheyenne, Wyo., a distance of 1000 miles.
 Special ships are being built for night flying, and it has been said by authorities that night flying is Just as safe as flying during the day. The fast time made by airplanes in trans porting mail has gotten to be hobby of mine" said Colonel Henderson, and I feel most confident that a reg ular and safe schedule can be worked out. At present we operate 70 ships which are piloted by 40 aviators, and last year our department was pre- scented with the Collier trophy of the American Aeronautic association. We hope that next year we shall be as successful. The air service is de- cidedly the swiftest transportation possible. The railway service falls in the middle class and is the back bone Of all mail transportation. Tn this service there are 10000 mail clerks, all of whom are most effi- cient.
 w. Ircving Glover, Third Assisotant Postmaster General, was next intro dueed to the convention and stated that S3,600,000 letters were mailed daily, and that 14,00o. ,0e0 stamps were sold annually; while the annual sale of special delivery stamps amounted to 57,000,000 In his dis course on Your Business and My Business,' the speaker gave many interesting figures. in explaining to the Alabama postal workers the vastness of the United States post office department
 The meeting was called to order at 2 o'clock by R. B. Smyer. Bir- mingham postmaster. and the invo- cation pronounced by Rev. George R. Stuart, pastor of the First Metho- dist church. The address of welcome was made by D. E. McLendon. presi dent of the city commission. Short talks were made by F. w. Black, secretary of the Montgomery Cham Der of Commerce, who. spoke on the Necessity For Cooperation Between the Postal Service and the Business Public" and George Yancey, who spoke on behalf of the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce. substituting for J. D. Moore, who was scheduled to appear at this time.
 The Washington delegation was entertained during their sojourn in this city by the Birmingham Kiwanis club at q luncheon at l o'clock; an automobile sightseeing trip at 10 o'clock Tuesday morning, and ban quet at the Tutwiler hotel Monday evening, given by the members of the railway mail service department.