New Britain herald., 1926-07-02
AND NOW, MAIL BY AIR OVER NEW ENGLAND


 Inauguration Of the first air mail
 service over New England yielded
 opportunity for considerable cere-
 mony, in which Governor Trum-
 bull, as one of the original aviation
 boosters of Connecticut, was a
 prominent figure.
 As far as New Britain is con-
 cerned there is little time gained
 for local business men, wishing to
 get into communication hurriedly,
 with western points. It has been
 possible to mail letter here and
 send it to Chicago, for instance, via
 air mail after it arrived in New
 York in a time that was only two
 hours greater than the new line will give. Mail for the air mail at the metropolis, carried between this city and New York by train, closes at the local post office al 2:3O D. m, while mail to go via the Hartford air line closes at 4:3o.
 There is also a slight difference in costs. Air mail from here to Chicago, for instance, if taken to New York by train and deposited upon a plane there, costs ten cents postage per letter, or ounce. Tho cost Of flying direct from the Hart ford field to the same ultimate destination is Is cents for the let ter. The difference of five cents amounts to little and is worth it if the 2:3O air mail is missed; but firms sending great many letters by air mail may consider the diff ference in cost. It may not be to the interest of the new air mail 10 mention these things, but the pub lie would discover them anyway, particularly that part using the air for mail purposes.
 The difference in costs between the affair and rail-air services is due to the air zones in which the country is divided, zones which carry charges of ten cents each; but where a letter passes over two zones the charge is not doubled, but is graduated, so that 15 cents in- stead Of 20 cents is charged for all air mailings between New England and Chicago. Where one zone is traversed by rail, however, nothing extra is charged, which accounts for the 1O-cent rate to the middle west by the rail-air trip from New Britain.
 Of course, patriotic New Eng lander would prefer to use the all New England air mail when pos sible, and thus contribute toward keeping it in business. Thousands will do this, in Hartford, Spring field, Boston and other cities. But ! what is being discussed is the new air mails advantages 10 New Brit ain. These are admitted, but at the , same time are slight - a matter l of two hours. Post office officials i are aware that the average person . pr firm using the air mail can get . his mail ready by 2;3o o'clock as easily as by 4:30. Exceptions arc . comparatively few.
 So far as New Britain is con ,erned. then, 1t is impossible 10 . come to any other conclusion than hat the new air mail is not as yreac an advantage as it ought to ,e, or as might have been expect d. The future, of course, may hold nore in store.
 II is important, Of course, not 10 . onfuse the air mail over New england, or the earlier rail con cction with the night air mail eryice at New York, with the ranscontinental air mail which de- arts from New York at S:3O a. m ally. Mall intended for the trans ontinental air mail closes in New Britain at S:30 D. m.. twelve hours efore the departure Of the air 1 ,an planes from New York. AL nough q later closing hour for this nail would be possible in New ritain, guaranteed connections l annot be made at the post office. 6 s the transcontiuental air mail ] ocs not make air connections with ? le multitude Of subsidiary air mail { nes which have been established { ! the west, is use is limited 10 ' trough mail only. l. So far the air mail system Of the n 'untry has been a losing proposi- c on. Planes, 1t appears, cost much g oney to buy and maintain, while d