Evening star., 1936-08-09
A|RMA|L POUNDAGE.
OVER 15 MILLION
1896 Fiscal Year Records
Rapid Gain-20,0 100000
Likely for 1887.

Fully recovered from the staggering
setback of the Nationwide airmail
shake-up of 1884, when all domestic
airmail contracts were cancelled, the
volume of airmail, as result of un-
precedented growth during the past
year, will pass the $4,000, ,000-pound
mark for the 1886 fiscal year, accord
ing to preliminary estimate made by
postal officials.
Behind the tremendous growth of
domestic airmail service lies an ex-
traordinary campaign of public adver-
tising by the Post Office Department
and individual postmaSters throV<l-
out the country. Radio, newspaper
publicity and other means have been
utilized to popularize the service.
The strides made by airman are
shown by figures for the past three
fiscal years. During 1884, when the
contracts were cancelled, airmail
poundage totaled 6,476,919 pounds
the lowest for five years. For the 1885
fiscal year the total was 10,775,248
pounds.
20,O00,000 Pounds Anticipated.
Poundage for the fiscal year which
has just ended is certain to pass the
$4,000, ,OOO-pound mark, according to
postal officials, and they confidently
look forward to passing the 10000 600
pound mark during the present fiscal
year.
For the first II months of the past
fiscal year, the total poundage was
13.9Ol ,524, It was announced by
Charles P. Graddick, general superin-
tendent of the airmail service.
ON the basis of an estimated 1,3OO,-
600 pounds for June, which is very
conservative" Graddick said. I'VE will
pass the l5,OOO,000-pound mark by
more than 100000 pounds"
That an estimate of 300, 900 pounds
Is conservative is demonstrated by
poundage figures for the three preced-
ing months. During March, the total
was 1,396,977 pounds; during April, it
was 1.355,200 pounds. and for May it
was l.444,0l3 pounds. During the
last nine years poundage during June
almost always has been heavier than
IN any of the three preceding months.
1t probably will be nearly another
month before the statistical report for
the last fiscal year is completed. The
preliminary report for May has Just
been made public by the department.
This report shows that during the
month contract airmail lines in the
United States were operating over a
total route length of 29159 miles and
that IN carrying the more than 400
600 pounds of mail, they flew a total
OF 3,5277l6 miles. For this service,
the SO contract airmail operators re-
ceived a total of S1,O7O,720.
A total of 100000 pounds of air.
mail Tor the last fiscal year would be
more than 5000 per cent greater than
the total carried in 1927 and more
than double the amount carried three
years ago.
Airmail Growth Charted,
Reports compiled by the Post Office
Department for the past nine years
OF alrmail service show an interesting
picture of airmail growth. Many of
the fluctuations were due to changes
in atrmail rates, which have varied
from 10 cents to the present figure of
cents for the first once.
During the fiscal year of 1927 the
total airmail flown was 4731O2
pounds. The rate was 10 cents Der
ounce and 10 cents for each addi-
tional ounce or fraction of an ounce.
This rate prevailed through the fiscal
year Of 1928, when the total grew to
1851 300 pounds.
On August /, 1923, a month after
the beginning of the 1929 fiscal year,
the airmail rate was reduced to 5
cents for the first ounce and 10 cents
for each additional ounce or fraction
OF an ounce. The effect was ex-
traordinary. At the close of the fiscal
year contractors reported total of
5,635,680 pounds of airmail had been
flown. The airmail service really was
becoming all economic and social fac
tor in American life.
Under this low rate the airmail
poundage grew steadily to a total of
7,719.698 pounds in 1880, 8,579,422
pounds in 1881 and 8,845.9 .967 pounds
in the year which ended June 80.
1892.
Then came another change in air.
mal rates. On July 6, 1882, just
after the opening of the fiscal year,