Evening star., 1934-06-18
A|RMA|[ CHANGES
WILL BEGIN JULY |
New Law to Go into Effect
Section by Section Over
Year Period.

airmail operations IN the Unlteo
States will make themselves felt dur
ing the coming year. beginning about
July !. as section after section of the
new airmail law goes into effect. 1t
probably will be almost a full year
before all provisions of the law are
in operation, in the opinion of postal
authorities.
One of the first noticeable effects
of the new law will be reduction of
the airmail postage rate from 8 to
6 cents per ounce or fraction of an
ounce. This change will become eff
fective July l and at the same time,
it is understood. the Post Office De-
partment will undertake a Nation
wide campaign for greater use of the
airman.
The use of special airmail postage
stamps will be almost wholly discon-
tinued and every letter of less than
an ounce in weight which carries
cents in stamps will be expedited by
airmail. The change is expected to
increase greatly the volume of airmail
and the benefit to the public of the
faster service.
Then, as the present temporary
three-month airmail contracts ex-
pire. the air transport companies
carrying the mail along the Nation S
airwayS will begin to come wholly un-
der the provisions of the new law and
at the same time to come within the
scope. for the first time. of the rate
making powers of the Interstate Com
mPrce Commission.
AS the Interstate Commerce Com
mission begins its work of fixing rates
for compensation of the air transport
lines, the Department of Commerce
will at the same time broaden its work
of regulating the safety factors of
transport operations, and airline pilots
and employees will be brought under
the protection of the National Labor
Board, which is empowered by the new
law to fix the rates of pay and work
ing conditions for pilots. mechanics
and laborers of the air transport lines.
While these far-reaching changes
are going into effect. special preSi-
dental commission authorized by the
new law will be making a searching
inquiry into every phase of American
aviation, for the purpose of reporting
to Congress not later than February
I, 1885, its recommendations of a
broad policy covering all phases of
aviation and the relationship of the
United States to these aeronautical
activities.
Expira tions Begin in August.
tnF1 ,oil
contracts, the first of which were
awarded last month and the last of
which are about to be awarded. may
be extended by the Post Office De-
partment from month to month
during the remainder of this year if
such procedure is found advanta-
geous, or the companies may be
brought. as fast as the temporary
contracts expire, under the full terms
of the new law. The first of the
temporary contracts will begin ex-
piring in August.
Under the new law the Postmaster
General is authorized to award con-
tracts for the transportation of air
mail by airplanes between such
points as he may designate, for initial
periods of not exceeding one year, to
the lowest responsible bidders. The
base rate of pay which may be bid
and accepted under the new law is
limited to a maximum of 1914 cents
per airplane mile for a mail load of
not exceeding 300 pounds. AS the
loads increase above 300 pounds, the
pay increases to an absolute maxi
mum of 40 cents per airplane mile.
1t Is stipulated by law that no air.
mail contract or interest in such a
contract may be sold or transferred
by the contractor to any other person
or company without approval of the
Postmaster General, and that such a
transfer shall subject to instant can
collation. not only the transfer but
also the original contract.
The Postmaster General is au-
thorized by the new law, when in his
opinion public interest requires it,
to grant an extension of any airmail
route for a distance not in excess of
100 miles. Only one such extension
may be granted to any one airmail
contractor, and the rate of pay for
the extension must not exceed the
contract rate on the route. This pro-
vision of the new law is intended to
prevent forever the abuses of the
former McNary- -Watres airmail law
under which thousands of miles of
extensions of airmail routes were
awarded to private companies with
out competition of bidding. In some
cases the former extensions more than
doubled the mileage of companies
under their original contracts-one of
the primary reasons for the recent air
mail investigations and the framing of
the new law.
Empowered TO Designate Routes.
The Postmaster General is empow-
cred under the new law to designate
certain routes as primary and Sec
ondary routes. AT least four trans
continental and the Eastern and West
ern coastal routes are required to be
designated as primary routes.
The new law provides that no one
individual or company may hold a
contract for flying airmail on more
than one primary route or on total
of three routes of all types which
would include one primary and two
secondary, o. three secondary routes.
1t is stipulated that if on any route
advertised for bids. only one bid is
received or if the bids appear to the
Postmaster General to be excessive,
he may reject them or submit them
to the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion for its direction before making
the award.
The law prohibits the Postmaster
General from awarding contracts for
alrmal routes in excess of total Of
$4,000 miles, either by original con-
tract or by extension. He also is for
hidden to establish schedules for air
mall transportation in excess of an
annual total Of 100000 airplane-
miles.
The law empowers the Interstate
Commerce Commission, after notice
and hearing, to fix and determine by
order "aS soon as practicable and from
time to time" the fair and reaSonabla