The Daily Alaska empire., 1940-03-31

the service is a four -motored $ AZ clipper. Normally this ship carries B passengers. but it's payload Will be reduced to allow enlarged fuel capacity for the l,000-mile Alaska flight.
 A stop at Ketchikan is contem- plated on each flight, but Bixby said at the CAA hearing that the company did not wish to be forced to land there if conditions should be unsafe.
 At Juneau the planes will con- meet with the existing Pacific AL aska Airways service to Fairbanks, Nome and all of Interior and North ern Alaska. Pacific Alaska Airways is a subsidiary of Pan American.
 Mail, passenger and express will be carried. The big ships carry a crew of five.
 Money Available
 At the CAA hearing for certi- ficate of convenience and necessity it was testified that with a mail subsidy of $330,000 the company could furnish two round-trips each week from May IS to October l. AL though adequate provision has not been made in the curr ent budget for the service, it has been prom ised that a deficiency appropriation will be made by Congress to cover expenses of the run in the first year.
 Charles P. Graddick, Superin- tendent of the Post Office Air Mall Service, said at the CAA hearing that the Department had had money set up in its budget annually for the past three years to establish the service. Available at the pres ent time is a sum of $2l3,00O, he said.
 To give adequate mail service, Graddick said, there should be at least two flights per week. Whether the line will be classified as do- mestic or foreign route has not been decided. If domestic, the mail will be six cents an ounce from any point in the United States; if for eign, the rate will be set by the Postmaster General.
 Pilots in Training
 Two Alaska pilots, s. E. Robbins and Jerry Jones, have been in training at M nj, Florida, on ships such as will be used on the Alaska run. Others who will " over the neN an1sy VIII bs facl1l3 A.aska pilots Gen Aeyrdlg shq Murray stuart The 3 tier passed through Juneau several weeks ago on his way to Oakland for adoi tionel fiying trainng before taking ger one of the Seattlc-to-3,ua.-.. planes.
 Extensive tests over the route were completed year ago. Adequate radio facilities will have been in- stalled by the time service starts this spring. Weather reports al- ready being broadcast are consid5 cred ample.
 Joe CroSson, pioneer Alaska avia- tor and head of the Pacific Alaska operations, calls the new service an essential link in the Territory's transportation system.
 Outstanding Need
 Other expressions on the same sub- ject have been as follows:
 Alaska Delegate Anthony J. Di- mond-"It seems certain that the European war will turn more tour ists to Alaska than ever before. One of the Canadian steamship compan- ies operating to Alaska has already taken one vessel off the Alaska run and other Canadian ships may fol- low. Consequently, it appears that for the summer months at least daily air schedule between Seattle and Juneau would not only be justi- fled, but that the ships of the air, as well as those operating on the sea lanes, would probably be loaded to capacity at all times"
 Gov. Ernest Gruening Alaska faces a crisis as shipping companies have tried to get additional ships on the route north unsuccessfully. This air service is indispensable to Alaska and we should have had it several years ago."
 Senator Lewis Schwellenbach of Washington - Swift transportation will greatly help to keep the people Of Alaska on permanent basis. Under present conditions there is tendency to regard the Territory as the place to make a stake and get out. An airline will discourage this attitude. We are always taking things out of the Territory and not putting much in"