The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1934-05-04
TO sioux
FALLS SERVICE MAY
Be ORGANIZED soon
Postoffice Department Asks for
Bids on Route, to Be
Opened May Is
Reject FARG0.sEATTLE BID
Action on Northern Transcon.
tinental Service Is Held
Up Temporarily

Bismarck may be the junction point
.or federal north-south and east
west airmail routes, it was indicated
Friday when the postoffice depart
ment called for bids on a proposed
alr-mail route from Sioux Falls. s. D.
to Bismarck.
The route is one OF 10 for which
airmail bids will be opened In Wash
ington May Is, according to an Asso-
Grated Press dispatch.
Announcement Of the proposed new
route came simultaneously with re-
lection OF bids on the Fargo-Wen-
achee, Wash, route and announcement
that in view OF the fact that the
low bidder on the Fargo-Seattle So
called northern tranScontinental
route has been rejected and the status
Of the low bidders on the Chicago
Fargo Pembina end of this route has
not yet been determined, 1t has been
decided to withhold, for the present.
any action on this route"
Northern Turned Down
The low bid OF Northern Air Trans
port, Inc, for the Fargo Wenatchee
airmail contract, submitted q short
time ago, was rejected Friday. The
postmaster general said Northern Air
was disqualified because the bureau
Ct aeronautics held its equipment was
inadequate; the attorneys reported
that the bid was not in legal form;
end the postoffice department comp
troller said the company failed to fur
nish information as to its financial
responsibility
Northern had submitted bid of
28.8 cents per airplane mile while
Northwest Airlines, Inc, successor to
Northwest Always, Inc, which for
merly mad the airmail contract
through Bismarck, submitted 4 bid of
1894 cents per airplane mile. The
maximum rate is As cents.
Northwest had served Bismarck
from June. 1881, until March, 1894.
when President Roosevelt ordered
wholesale cancellation of airmail
contracts.
Serve Huron, Aberdeen
The proposed Sioux Falls Bismarck
route would serve both Huron and
Aberdeen, S. D.
Bids for contracts on three other
routes also We're held up Friday
pending receipt Of further informa-
ton concerning the qualifications Of
the low bidders"
These bidders were Hanford Tri-
State Airlines, Inc, Sioux City, Ia.
Tor the Chicago-Pembina, N. D..
route; Braniff Always, Inc, Okla
homa City, for the Chicago-Dalla
leg; and Alfred Frank, Salt Lake City.
for the Salt Lake City Helena, Mont.
hop.
All three companies were among
concerns which did not hold contracts
prior to cancellation.
The airmal. untouched by private
hands for nearly three months, will
go out in the ships Of nine CONNER
clal companies over routes totaling
1871 miles within 80 days.
Contracts Are Awarded
The nine companies Friday were
awarded contracts by the postoffice
department in its move to return
flying OF the airmail to private oper-
ators. Fifteen temporary contracts,
each for 80 days, were awarded.
Five Of the lines formerly held air.
mail contracts, four are newcomers.
simultaneously. postal officials sent
out call late Thursday for bids on
10 new routes to be opened May Is,
along with new offers on two routes
for which proposals were rejected.
Analysis Of the new contract max
Ing showed that five companies out
o. the dozen or SO which once carried
the mail were given IL of the awards.
One route apiece was handed to the
newcomers.
Farley said the routes now outlined
and those for which new bids viii Be
obtained May Is would bring the air
mail mileage network to 2e,548. When
the old contracts were cancelled,
25.24S miles were being flown.
He estimated the cost Of the en-
larged network at 5000 900 Z year. as
compared with 19,454,o00 in the 1888
fiscal year and the $l4.0O0,0 900 apuro-
priated for the 1894 fiscal period.
United Airlines, Inc, obtained three
contracts.