Imperial Valley press., 1937-03-19
BRINGING
ALL THE NEWS
TO IMPERIAL
VALLEY
THE AIRMAIL PROPOSAL
FOR IMPERIAL VALLEY

Imperial valley can 10 itself and San
Diego a worthwhile service by uniting
behind the proposal of the San Diego
and El Centre chambers of commerce
to revive airmail and passenger serv-
ice between the two points.
Twenty-Five thousand miles of sched-
uled air lines extend across the nation
today. Applications have been made to
the post Office department for an addi-
tional 900 miles of airmail lines Serv-
ice will undoubtedly be extended to
some points--and Imperial Valley should
be among them.
We should not attempt to obtain this
service merely for the sake of publicity.
Air service must be conditioned upon
economic need. If the valley and San
Diego can support airmail between the
two points-and we believe they can
then it is economically justified. That
should be the only consideration.
No community needs improved mail
service more than Imperial Valley The
present service, although the best avail
able under present conditions, is not
satisfactory. Train, schedules are too
slow, and too few The valley is penal
lied because it is not on the main line.
Business houses, buyers and shipper,
packers and residents normally have
many communications which should go
out by airmail Instead, they must go
by expensive telephone or telegraph,
or must lose their potency through
tedious wait on the present mail sched-
ules. Airmail would remedy that.
A connection by air with San Diego
would be sufficient to fill the valleys
needs. An added link with Phoenix
would not be necessary at this time be-
cause almost identical connections can
be made through Los Angeles by way
of San Diego. A connection with Phoe-
nix would serve only points in the far
South, and there is little mail from
here to that region Most of the valleys
mail bound for the coast goes to the
East or Midwest on direct transcon-
tinenta routes from Los Angeles.
San Diego enjoys almost constant air
mail schedules to Los Angeles. Mail for
San Francisco, or for Midwest or East
ern points make fast connections. SINH
lar letters from Imperial Valley, under
the present system. travel by poor train
service to Los Angeles. With airmail,
the letters would reach their. Eastern
destination almost as soon as they now
reach Los Angeles.
The valley had a poor taste of air
mail and passenger service in 1882 and
1888. The depression ended the episode.
1t should not be considered a test case,
since it was brought to an end by eco
nomic conditions, poor flying service,
second-rate planes and schedules which
gave no advantage over regular mail
service.
Today, we are confident, the valley
could supply twice the poundage requlr-
ed for airmail service.
The postoffice department must be
convinced of this before we obtain air
mail and passenger service. The best
way to give conviction is for every IN
dividual, every firm, every agency and
every buyer to write directly to Harlee
Branch. second assistant postmaster
general. Washington, D. c. The writer
should say how much airmail he would
use if schedules were available. Copies
of such letters would be sent to the
chamber of commerce, SO the community
NAV present a united front in its cam
paign.
A Colorado man has dislocated hls
Jaw 21 times by yawning. That should
LNn1pn N