Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-07-06
Washington Ticker
~ the Associated Press.

~ the Associated Press.
Business history records few more
daring ventures than that which cui-
minated Monday. when the Transcon :
tinental Air Transports big planes, one
on each side Of America, take to the ar
with full passenger loads to 1naugurate
ocean.to-ocean service. More tnan
rs 600 900 has been spent by the trans
nort eomuany before q cent Of return
f. obtained. and huge additional sums
have been laid out by the co-operatlnS
railroads, the Pennsylvania and santa
Fe. Moreover, the promoters are colo.
" calculating on taking regular ano
steady loss, running to large daily TO-
falls. for ct least o year in operation
before business develops on which 'ex-
pe1ses can be paid.
In spite of that outlook, and before
9. public plane completes the scneouleo
continental lump, so certain are trans
mort executives of the public demand
for the flying journey that negotiations
have already been opened Tor the &C
uuisition Of more and bigger planes 10
augment the service. Pau a: AenoeI-
son, operating vice president OF I. a. T.,
hurried back to Washington TINS week
from q dress rehearsal night over the
route and has set the WneeS turning
"Really. our transcontinental hying
service starts Sunday" he said, when
the Pennsylvania passenger train pulls
ont of New York at sos PM, with the
passengers who transfer to our ship,
ieayirlT Port Columbus at 6:l5 am.
Monday. At S:45 am, the Eastbouno
plane departs from Los Angeles. ca.
pacity ut the start is limited TO ~
passengers per day, and the last notce
1 have estimates that about zoo al
vance bookings have been MADE: some
of them run clear ahead until Octoper,
SO that we are not yet guaranteed Ca
pacity loads for present equipment.
I'VE can't tell yet how heavy the
travel will be, but IL is certain that
speed and comfort will appeal to Amer
leans. At present the fare Is high,
lust short Of $3.50. but 1t can be cut
when we get volume, which we hope
to do rather quickly. To show one
advantage, on the trial trip We dropped
down from the high air to the transfer
station at Kinsman, Ariz., with our pas
sengers cool and comfortable. and found
q ground temperature OF ia degrees,
through which train riders have TO roll
for hours.
everything is rs ritzy rs possible
in our ARRANGEMENTS, from the interior
decorations Of the tri.motored Wasp
cabin planes to the landing stations
and grounds, because at the inception
the appeal is confined rather sharply
to people who pay for and demand
luxury. When the speed and safety Is
demonstrated, we can cut down rates
and handle numbers. At the start 1T
win cost US $l5O q mile to fly these
big planes. This cost will come down,
perhaps come down fast, and will be
put under attack from two directions.
FIRST, we shall have planes Of larger
and that is what our present
contemplate. Next, we
shall have more planes. The beginning
operation has much the expense char
acter that the New York Central would
face II It got all its four-track lines
through New York to Chicago, with
signals, stations and equipment, only
to use 1t for q single train o day. As
we run the number Of planes up the
cost per mile win drop, and we can
follow It down with the rate. AT that,
we don't expect the lire to earn for its
first year."
Though the Federal Trade Commits
sion is advancing steadily in the policy
Of approving trade cooperation
throughout the fabric az American I'M
dslstry. by ofaciallF Accepting business