The Daily Alaska empire., 1933-01-17
ALASKA NEEDS AIR MAIL CONTRACTS

The importance of air mail service in Alaska has been proved through actual experience. None will dispute that notwithstanding that has been con- fined thus far to the Interior. That it would be of far greater importance if the service extended to the Coast at Juneau is so obvious that argument the point is unnecessary It is equally obvious that the system ought to be tied in with the general air mail service in the States in order to make it reach it's greatest usefulness. The Alaska Southern Airways and other airways companies have proved that it would be feasible to operate planes on regular schedule from here to Seattle.
 The air mail service in Alaska has been proved under difficult circumstances. It is not carried on under such air mail contracts as in effect in the old United States with the Post Office De- partment. The air mail service in Interior Alaska is conducted under the Star Route contracts that were formerly operated by dog teams. The airways companies are subcontractors from those who hold the original contracts.
 Proper development of air transportation which already has proved to be vital in the development of the natural resources, the movement of mail, express and passengers in Alaska requires organi- zation with long experience and large capital In this respect it is largely like the development of water navigation It took a long time and large capital to develop Alaska transportation to the point where the Alaska Steamship Company was able to give week.
  ing in these waters. It necessary to develop a large area from which to acquire traffic and to have cooperation the part of the steamship company the people and the Government. AirWays have proved that with similar cooperation to extend the service in Alaska that has become indispensable air transportation might be put on profitable basis, and other basis can hope to have it continued.
 The arways companies have demonstrated the practicabity of an air mail, express and passenger service in Alaska under the most unproptious circumstances. They have done it really in compe- tion with dog team compensation and where it costs probably twice much to operate in any other section of the United States. Yet the air mail letter postage in Alaska is only cents In the States it is cents Air mail in Alaska is arriving at its destination, we understand 100 per cent on time. The Fairbanks News-Miner gives the Pacific Alaska Airways credit for changing the situation from time when the air mail was being delivered from week to three months late in reach ing it's destination to present perfection in transporta- tion When air service first established in Alaska cost a passenger about $1,O00 for a trip from Fairbanks to Nome. Now, the trip can be made for little than $l0O.
 However, it is understood that the arways com- pany that is giving the people this 100 per cent service is losing money and is able to carry or only because it is backed by the Pan American Airways which carries mail into thirtyseven foreign countries under mail contracts with the United States Post Office Department. It operates more than 100 multimotored planes with 996 per cent regularity of schedule
 The Government will this year advertise for bid: to deliver mail. In order to insure a continuation of the air mail service in Alaska the call for bids ought to ask for air mail bids not only on the routes that being served hut for service from Fairbanks to Juneau and from Juneau to the States
 If air mail service contracts were let for delivery of mail between Seattle and Juneau between Juneau and Fairbanks, between Fairbanks and Nome and for the star routes the airways companies oper- ating in Alaska would be able to improve theii service and contribute immeasurably to Alaska de- velopment