Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-10-20
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDdERToN.

pOSt8l auJklOIltlCS I1aQ 6QOQbC0 Tic
attitude toward the railroad and
steamer that Mr.. Brown has
adopted toward the airmail?
What would have been the atti-
tude of the country not so many
years ago II one Of Mr.. Browns
predecessors in ONCE had said:
I'VE do not encourage the pro-
miScuouS use Of the railroad; let
us stick to the pony express?
II said that the promiScuouS
use of the airmail service Is not
good business for the Post once
Department." the speaker. con-
tinued. 1T costs the department
1881 pound to transport airmail
from Boston to Los Angeles. This
is the aggregate Of the poundage
rates paid to the several con-
tractors carrying airmail between
those two cities"
Rates Could Be Lowered.
This high rate. according to
surveys which have been made by
aeronautical organizations, Is the
result of the policy of the Post Of
fee Department Of letting piece
meal contracts for the carrying Of
the mails to number of small air
lines. If the contracts were con-
Solidated and one company was
intruSted with the duty Of making
the transcontinental trip, they
say, the cost to the department
could be greatly reduced.
"If each airmail letter weighed
q full ounce" Mr.. Brown ex-
planned, "our gross revenue for the
transportation of pound of air
mail would be 16 times 5 cents, or
80 cents, and on the tranSporta-
ton of a pound of such airmail
from Boston to Los Angeles the
Government would lose $S.0l, not
taking into consideration the cost
of collecting the mail at the points
Of origin and the cost Of diStribut-
ing it at the points Of delivery.
Increasing the volume proportion
ately increases the loss. II 100
pounds of mail were so carried the
Governments loss would be 100
times $8.01, or $80l,"
ElS uECS O1SputCus
Why these figures? The airmail
has not averaged Is letters to the
pound since the service was in
augurated, but has run as high as
40 to Is letters to the pound, it is
estimated. In the early days of
the airmail, one Of the first air.
mail officials has said, it always
was considered, on the basis of
careful study, that the mail ran
about As letters to the pound. It is
not believed that this situation
has changed materially since that
time. Such reasoning as that
quoted by the Postmaster General
apparently places the airmail at a
disadvantage.
Throughout his speech the Post
master General seems to swing
again and again to the idea that
because the airmail is not paying,
its use should be curtailed. In
these days when quantity produc-
ton is resorted to in every line of
business and industry to reduce
unit costs would it not seem logi-
cal that in order to reduce the
cost per pound Of carrying mail
thee quantity handled should be
increased and not decreased, as
suggested by Mr.. Brown? Would
not modern business approach a
problem Of this sort by reducing
overhead and increasing produc-
ton?
Progress or CurtaiIment?
1t would be difficult to picture a
great automobile manufacturer
saying to all his distribution
agents: ST would suggest that we
limit the sale Of our cars to only
the most wealthy people. Our
overhead expenses are so high
that I feel we should curtail pro-
duction."
Would such an argument ap-
peal seriously to Henry Ford, for
example?
Referring to the struggles
through which aviation leaders
are going today to establish aero
nautics on q permanent basis in
this country, Mr.. Brown says that
sit is the duty of the Government
to continue its support" of aero
nautics.
Does it appear that his policy Of
curtailing the use of the airmail
will be a great support to Ameri-
can aviation? It would seem that
the head Of the American postal
service might adopt a more logical
method of supporting aviation and
thus, in his own words, greatly
promoting the progress, prosperity
and security Of our beloved coun-