Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-04

Parts of the country. Offering low
carried more passengers than nor
The thrill phase of passenger flying,
however, is beginning to wear of, and
passengers who fly today are doing so
for the same reasons they travel by rail,
boat and bus. They are buying trans
portation and they choose transpor
tation because it suits their needs.
There is real substance to the air pas
senger traffic of today.
The passenger traffic handled by the
country's air transport lines in July
broke all previous monthly records since
the beginning of commercial flying. ac-
cording to survey by the Aeronautical
Chamber of Commerce. Records for
August have not yet been completed
but the preliminary figures indicate sill
further increases.
While passenger volume was reach
ing new heights in July. airmail
poun6age also reached a new record
express volume did the same and mile
age flown was the greatest for any
month in history
Reports show that during July the
American transport lines carried a total
OF 55,782 passengers. This is nearly
10000 greater than in the previous rec
ord month-August. l930-When 1929
passengers were flown. Julys passenger
the total for July, 1890, and was
greater than the total for the entire
year of 1928
The marked increase in passenger
travel last June and July has brought
the total for the first seven months
OF this year up to nearly the record of
1890, and the volume for this year is
expected to materially exceed that for
last year. During the first seven months
fnta Of
rode the airways of the Nation, the
total for the same period last year being
237,0s4. The major air transport oper-
atorS have reported increases in the VOL
ume OF business for each month this
year.
AirmaiI Volume Grows.
The notable increase in passenger
traffic has not been the only cause Tor
rejoicing on the part of the opera tors.
Airman poundage is continuing its
steady growth. This blessing, however.
Is not a cause for unalloyed bliss. as the
Pest Office Department. on October I.
saw fit to put into effect slash in pay
rates which will cost the airmail con-
tractors some 100000 a year in rev
enueS. 1t was all in the line of econ
omy. postal officials explained, and
would not, by any means, be the last
step in this direction. They intimated
that another reduction might be ex-
pected about December |, which would
further reduce the annual pay to the
contractors by an approximate $500 900.
The Post once Department. It was
explained. has exceeded its airmail ap-
preparations by some s900000 and. rath-
er than ask Congress for a deficiency
appropriation to make up the amount,
has decided to take it out of the con-
tractors
The volume of airmaiI. regardless Of
the viciSsitudes of the contra ctors con-
tinues TO increase from month to
month. For June the total was 1903 S35
pounds and for the first time in history
the 800,000-pound mark was passed in
a single month. In July the curve still
was upward and the total was BOT, SOB
pounds, with prospects of more and
more letters and less and less pay to
gladden. and sadden the hearts of the
contractors.
AS with airTnail. so with air express.
The total air express shipments in July
were 1880 pounds. This is more than
three times the amount flown In July
OF last year and was nearly 5000
pounds greater than in June of this
year. Total express flown during seven
months Of 1881 was 464590 pounds. as
against 1874 pounds for the same
portion Of 1890
All the increases in traffic were at
tended by increases in schedules and
extensions OF routes in all parts of