Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-07-15
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
By PAUL X. COLLINS.

y s /. 3 r.
While such an airway needs no
uuire the installation OF beacon light
ing for night flying, costing $275 a
mile, with 1857 per mile annual up.
keep. besides emergency landing
fields costing for the transcontinental
route, $4,000, 600 year for mainte-
nance.
Already the American Air Mail serv-
ice planes have flown one-third of
the distance to the sun and now car
ny some 5000 900 pounds Of letters
annually, vet the total loss of air
mail letters has amounted to only
126 pounds--a destruction in one
storm wreck. This loss amounts to
one-half the percentage Of loss Of
registered mail shipped in the old
way by rail or steamer.
8 $3.50
TrafIic conditions are more favor
able for development Of air trafiic in
America than in Europe, yet from
january, 1921, to 1924. 26,695 pas
sengers few across the English Chan
mel without a fatality. There Is more
night flying IN the United States
mail service than In Europe, and II IL
expected that passenger traftic will
be d natural development from the
start In mail service,
The undeveioned possibilities in.
America, compared with conditions in
England and France, about which
one hears 50 much that seems de-
rogatory to the enterprise of Amer
leans. are indicated by table pre-
pared by the Department OF Com
Inerce showing per capita freight and
passenger traific IN the respective
Tons Of Pas.
freight, s'rs, Mail
rail. rail. pieces.
United States % 81 l67
Great Britain 40 l26
France ....... MI. liz 100
The freight moving over the long
run between the Pacific and Atlantic
Coasts is greater thar4 that between
any two countries OF Europe, and the
passenger trafiic. in proportion to
population, Is greater than that of
any two Or three countries in Eu-
rope combined. h proportion to their
density Of population.
II
In Europe, where airplane pas
senger traffic has become common.
the element Of safety has been
standardized In the year 1924,
es ,f0B passengers were carried s,o27,-.
$50 miles, with q loss Of only AZ killed
@-cOfnDaring very favOrably with
railroad trahic, and outdoipg the
safety record OF horses or pedestri-
ai1iafn. Al European passenger plane
travels 494,OQO miles before any fatal
accident about 20 times around the
world land every year lowers the
risk through improvements in both
appliances and skill Of aviatOrs.
The thoroughness with which flyers
ara trained II indicated bys the esti-
mate cf the cost Of training, az made
ranging per man from $4,000 to
SIS 900. IN addition to that general
training, An air.imail fiyeF, before be-
tnE trusted alone, ii Ftrailed" on two
round trips over hin proposed route.
he must land at every emergency
landing on the;r0ute, ID az to fGmili-
arize him with I'LL field approaches,
sbeAcons ana weather conditions.
This route training costs an average
or SO. 900 Tor each aviator. after which
his annual earnings amount 20 an
average of S6,7O0. with 800 hours b
year of actual flying
The control of ali tIaffic III put by
the recent act 81 Congress- til charge
| Of The Department 0f Commerce. II
Iis al rated as Interstate tfafiic. under
decisions Or the United States SUI
/ preme Court. 80 that no Interference
/ with Federal control can be set up
under the plea of State rights This
| Is m lilo With eola1ls Eee On inter-