The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-02-10
i. s. Mobiles ARMY AIR
SERVICE TO CARRY MAIL:
FIRMS FIGHT CANCELLATION
City Officials Believe Air
Service Here Will Be
Continued.
d ARMY PLANES READY
Twenty-Six Local Reserve
Pilots CIamor for
New Duties.

The Presidents order can
ceiling all air mail contracts
and ordering the mail carried
by army planes probably will
not affect permanently the
operation of air service S
through Indianapolis, in the
opinion of local aviation off,
Gals.
While they point out that the air
lines will find it almost impossible
to operate without mail contracts,
confidence was expressed that within
a few weeks the entire matter would
be Strengthened out without halt
ing passenger service.
Announcement of the decision to
fly the mail with army planes
brought a flood of requests from air
corps reserve officers to be placed
on the list of available pilots for
the service, according to Lieuten-
ant Santon T. Smith, Schoen field
commander.
The order provides the reserve
pilots with an opportunity to OF
tain flying time that has been de-
MED them through curtailed
budgets.
At present, the reserve officers
here are allowed only two hours fly
ing time a month.
Four Planes Available
Lieutenant Smith said there are
four army planes, three Curtiss Fall
cons and one Douglas Btu. suitable
for use in the mail service, at Schoen
field, FIT. Benjamin Harrison.
There are twenty-six active pilots
on the reserve list here, about one
third of whom have had blind fly
ing experience, he added.
Besides the planes at the fort,
there are about twice as many gov
eminent ships assigned to the ma
tional guard air squadron, which
could be used.
Local representatives Of air lines
operating through indianapolis, the
American Always Chicago-Cincln-
natl division, and Transcontinental-
Western Air, declined to comment
on the situation, because of lack OF
definite information.
No Word Received
Ted Griffin, local American Air
ways representative, and G. E. Nc
Collum, TWA representative, said
thew have received no information
from their companies on the prob
able effect of the order canceling
contracts.
Charles A. Rheinstrom, Chicago,
American Always general traffic
manager, said he had no definite
information yet and was unable to
forecast whether his company would
continue to operate, adding that a
large percentage of the lines reve-
nue. has been from air-mail con-
tracts.
1t was recalled here that E. L.
Cord, who holds the controlling in
terest in American Always, had
no connection with the line when it
obtained it's contracts.
Possibility of getting around the
contract clause prohibiting the COM
panies from submitting new bids
/ within five years, by forming new
companies to take over the operat-
ing equipment, was seen by local OBJ
servers.
TWA Protests to President
McCollum received copy of a
telegram from Richard w. Robbins,
TWA president, to President Roose-
welt, protesting the order and de-
manding hearing "as a matter OF
faty play"
He offered to carry the mails for
the next thirty days pending an in
vestigation by the President and
Postmaster General James A. Far
ley. If, after a hearing, it were
found that the contracts mad been
obtained illegally, Mr.. Robbins Of
fered to waive payments for the
mileage flown.
1--WE never at any time have been
party to any collusive arrangements
with any other contractor for the
carriage of air mail" he ADDED.
ANY meetings which our repre-
sentatives attended at which other
contractors we're present were at the
express invitation of the postoft1ce
department"
Company Losing Money
In a letter sent to James A. Far
lev, postmaster general, yesterday,
Mr.. Robbins denied there was any
thing c'andestine about a meeting
of airway operators, called by fed
eral officials and fully reported by
the press at the time.
He pointed out that the company
has lost in its operations under its
present contract, since October,
1890, more than s1250,090. despite
the most meticulous economy.
He added that the amount Of
money the postoffice department
pays the company is not greatly in
excess of the revenue the depart
ment derives from the sale of
stamps on letters moving over the
TWA line.
American Always, on its Chi
cago- Cincinnati division, few $685.
500 miles in the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1888, and was paid $685.
Q3Q for mail carried