Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-07-29
Air Mail Rates to Be
Cut in Half August l
BY HARDEN COLFAx.

Cold economics is making a bid for a
share of the attention that warm ro-
nance has been receiving in the de-
velopment of the air mail service. On
August | the air mail rate will be re-
duced by more than half
The winged poStmen will continue to
attract the admiration Of the country
with their daring and their fidelity to
duty, but the purely spectacular tea-
lures Of the air mail are being shoulder
ed to the sidelines by the deperdability
of the service, by its rapid extension to
new territories and now by its economy
of cost as well as Its proven economy OF
time.
Seventy-fiye years, ago the country
thrilled to the news that transconti-
mental mail service had been establish
ed by stage coach, carrying letters from
coast to coast In % days. Then, sixty
odd years ago, came the relaying riders
OF the pony express. reducing the New
York to Frisco time by half Only O
few years later the ponies gave way to
the iron horses of the railroads. which
gradually worked up to an average
speed across the United States OF 90
hours. 1t is only four short years ago
that regular transcontinental mail serv-
Ice by airplane began.
The pony express carried letters
across the continent at postage rate
of SIS an ounce, later reduced to 50. in
II days Effective Wednesday. the air
mall will carry letter weighing an
ounce from coast to coast for 5 cents,
In IS hours, or carry 1t on any other OF
the routes at the same rate in proper
ttonately less time.
A large Increase I'm the volume Of
mail transported by planes Is expected
to follow reduction In the rate. Larger
volume would increase the revenues OF
the contractors. as they are paid on the
weight basis. II any deficit Is incurred
because OF the lower rate 1t will be
borne by the Post Office Department,
but none Is feared.
1t is only 10 years ago that the Post
once Department began experimenting
with transportation OF mail by airplaneS,
the tests being conducted with War
Department planes and Army pilots.
Later special organization In the Post
ONCE Department, with its own equip
nlent, took over the work. The first few
years were devoted to advancing mail
service at regular rates in connection
with trains on the transcontinental or
other long routes.
1t was not until July I. l924, that
through air mail service, involving night
flying, was started The postage rate
then was zoned. with minimum OF 3
cents per ounce an intermediate OF Is
and maximum of ~. Eighteen months
q. the air mail rate was placed on
a fiat basis, 10 cents per half ounce or
fraction thereof, regardless OF distance,
The rate which the department has
fixed to become effective August ! Is 5
cents for the first ounce, or less, and
10 cents for each additional ounce or
fraction thereof, As most letters weigh
less than half an ounce--the average Is
40 letters TO the pound~-this amounts
10 a reduction of more than so per cent
in the cost 10 air mail patrons.
With added congressional authority
the postal officials began awarding con-
tract air mail routes 2 II years ago. pre-
viousiy having had two contract routes
for advancing ship mails, The first
overland contract routes, two out Of
Detroit began operating February Is.
1926 The service not only captured
the imagination of American business
men, but appealed TO their practical
side because OF the saving of time. New
routes were demanded and granted,
The Government retired finally from
the air mail transportation last Sep
TENDER /. The Department OF Com
merce. however, lights the lanes and
fields. All routes now are handled by
contract, AS the new rate goes into
effect there are "a air mail routes, with
contracts for others signed and bids
for still more under consideration, Two
foreign routes are under contract; two
more will be let before many weeks pass
linking with Canada on the one side
and Latin America on the ether The
air mail now flies $4,000 miles daily,
equivalent 10 once around the earth,
and before the year ends 1t viii sched-
ule $4,000 miles day.
y
In the nine years the Post once
Department transported mail by air
1t handled 30i ,HAh, 900 letters Since
the first contracts became effective, In
February, 1919, air mail contractors
handled i0I $40. TAO letters 10 July /,
In June the contractors, at the To-
cents~per- half-ounoe rate, transported
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