Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-01

he Is administering the airnaii &C
try, there are many who contend
those who are alarmed at the apps
which Is slowly, but surely. staml
the backbone Of the smaller, tndeT
When IL Is realized that 90 per cent
al ali the Nations domestic contract
airmaII business d in the hands Of four
groups, whose powers have been grow
Ing steadily. and that smaller hide
pendent lines have been ignored time
after time In the awarding Of con-
tracts. without bidding and without
competition. II becomes apparent tnat
there may be some ground for crth-
OF the 80 contracts which have been
awarded by the Post once Department
for The carrying OF domestic airnail
since the passage OF the Watres act
more than a year. ago. 81 have been
virtually ali OF them to subsid-
iaries OF the Big -Four" 1t Is claimed
By those who would like 70 see more
Federal recognition OF the smaller IN
dependent lines.
In the two cases where there was bid
ding the specifications were 90 drawn
Is 10 exclude virtually all competition;
In ono case, that Of the Southern trans
continental route from Atlanta to the
Pacific Coast. only one bid being re-
ceived. following the disqualification OF
one after another Of the companies
which had planned 20 submit bids. The
contract was awarded. at the maximum
price, to a subsidiary Of one Of the Big
-Four" groups.
Two incidents which give particular
point 70 the complaints Of the indie
pendents involve contracts for airmail
service out OF the National Capital.
One was awarding Of the Atlantic City
contracts, three In number: the other
the announcements of q pending con-
tract for service 70 Norfolk. Va.
It should be Nemembered. In consid-
ering these cases. that the Postmaster
General, in advocating passage by Con-
gress Of the Watres BILL declared that
e was his intention TO use the bill as
q means Of aiding air transport OPP
orators who had gone to the expense of
pioneering service and who deserved
governmental support He intended, he
said, 70 put airmail on the planes of
such companies as a means of fostering
their development
A Pioneer Appears.
On July II, 1880. Aen q pioneer in
nIgurated passangef essrvice hetWeen
Philadelphia and Atlantic City, continu-
ting that service uninterTuptedly until
September /, when the company opened
service between New York and Wash
ingt0n. On June Is OF this year that
same company resumed It's Atlantic
City service, fiying. without interrupt
closed. about October /.
Here was pioneer in the field,
thoroughly familiar with the route, pos
sessed Of adequate equipment and
personnel, and deserving of the
support the Postmaster General had
promised such pioneers. Did this pi-
oneer get the mail contract? 1t did
not. It did not even get an opportunity
to compete for an aifmail contract. IL
was left absolutely out OF all con-
eideration.
Instead, the Postmaster General,
without advertising for bids, without
giving any one chance to compete.
awarded to one of the Big Four" q
company which never had flown to At
lantic City, contracts for extensions"
OF its service from Washington to At
lantic City, from Philadelphia to
Atlantic City and from New York 70
And nov we come to the Norfolk
situation. which aroused an even great
er storm OF comment and criticism In
the Spring Of 1880 exhaustive hearings
were held In the Post once Department
BY an interdepartmental committee, on
which the Post once Department was
strongly represented, on proposal to
extend airmail service from Pittsburgh
70 washington to Norfolk.
DELEGATIONS Of Pittsburgh and Nor
folk business men urged such a line to
expedite business transactions between
the two cities. The two cities were
especially DESTROYS Of fast, direct COM
munication because the iron and steel
products Of Pittsburgh figured heavily
In the shiubuilding business OF Norfolk
and its neighboring cities. making rapid
communication particularly desirable.
Airway Authorized.
On the strength Of these hearings,
with the concurrence OF postal officials,
it was agreed that Pittsburgh
ington-Norfolk was a logical and nee
essary airman route Upon recom-
mendation Of the Interdepartnlental
COMMITTEES and its Post once Depart-.
ment members. the Department. OF
Commerce undertook the construction
of a fully equipped airway from Puts
hurgh TO Washington and TO Norfolk.
The section between washington and
Norfolk cost approximately $4,000 and
included three lighted intermediate
landing fields, airways beaeons and
other aids.
Spring. but stood idle for week after
week, though the Post once Depart
nient had funds and authority TO put
in the extension. An extension OF the
Cleveland Pittsburgh airmail line to
Washington, however, was authorized,
contracted for, inaugurated and now
Is in successful operation.
While the airway lay idle the same
Tine which had pioneered the Atlantic
City passenger run completed thor
ough studies of the Norfolk situation,
entered into negotiations to put into
share for air transport operation the
Norfolk airport and, on October Is,
opened regular passenger service be-
tween washington and Norfolk. over
the Department Of Commerce Airway,
which Sprang into life.
This line. II Is said, wrote to the Post
once Department announcing that it
had opened service. wished to carry
atrmail and would guarantee to carry
the mails II necessary. at rates lower
than those In effect on any airrnail
route. Ofhcials of this line. it is
claimed. received no reply 70 their
proposal.
Instead, only week later. the Big
Four" company, which had been given
the Atlantic City run, issued an an
nouncement that It was opening air.
mail and passenger service from Wash
tngton 70 Norfolk by way of Rich
mond. The line later corrected its
announcement by saying that only
passenger service would be inaugu-
rated, but that the atrman service
would follow soon.
Contract Indicated.
Ofncials Of the Post once Depart
ment supported the announcement and
indicated that the airmail contract
would be awarded within two or three
weeks They explained their nrouosad