The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1946-01-18
RAPID SERVICE
BY AIR ASSURED

Air cargo service for the vii
mington area, providing quick
transit for flowers, truck crops
and other perishables, as well a.
general merchandise, to other
parts of the U. S., was assured
yesterday by an announcement by
M. M. deBrou, traffic manager o.
Air Cargo Transport corporation.
De Brou arrived in Wilmington
by train yesterday morning from
Richmond, Va, where plane ii
which he was passenger was
forced down by bad weather. He
Immediately went into conference
with ~Harriss Newman, prominent
local attorney who is representing
local interests in the air cargo
project.
A definite date for the inaugu.
ration of the air service has not
been set, Newman said, pending
the establishment of # freight
rates and agreement with regard
to use of the Bluethenthal airport
facilities for planes in the ACT
fleet.
DeBrou forecast that Will
mington merchants will use the
air transportation when regular
routes are established between the
city and other, larger cities such
as. New York, Miami and Chicago.
"We will be able to offer at
tractive rates to merchants who
want merchandise shipped here
from New York" de Brou said
because the plane will be com
ing to Wilmington, anyway. The
rate will be far below the 80 cents
per tonnage mile now charged for
foodstuffs."
AS an example of the compar.
alive inexpensiveness of rates fol
trans continental air transporta-
ton, de Brou said ACT now
charges $3.50 per 100 pounds for
goods shipped by air from New
York to California. Goods are car
ried from New York city to Mi
ami, Fla, for II and one-halt
cents per pound, he said.
Turn-About Service
1--WE hope to establish a solicit
tation and traffic office in Will
mington later on" de Brou said.
''It is possible we will also pro-
vide for turn-around'' mainte-
nance Of our transport planes
here" !
One stunt executed by ACT got
national recognition when the
story of it appeared in national
food magazine, de Brou said. The
company had frozen frog legs pick
ed up by an ACT plane in Havana,
Cuba, brought to Miami and then
carried to New York. 1.-THE frog
legs were as hard and as fresh
when they arrived in New York
as they were when they left Ha.
vana," he said.
The frog legs, however, did moi
interest the magazine as much as
did the method of preservation. In
the plane that carried them, ACT
put a block of dry ice in front Of
the fan operating the planes air
system. The plane itself was also
preceded by means of dry ice
de Brou said.
At the present time, the sever
CAT planes-knoWn to civilians as
Douglas Sky Trains-operating or
routes serviced by ACT are haul
ing, among other things, lobster:
from Maine to New York, de Bror
said. eve hauled Holsters from
Maine to California and proved
that the Holsters could be hauled
for that distance without spelling
But OPA ceilings froze US out
OPA ceilings on Holsters in New
York were IS cents per pound fol-
Holsters, and in California the OPA
ceiling was so cents. So we
couldn't afford it,
Success of the idea Of air cargo
service depends upon trips to 10
calities which not only will buy in
coming goods but will furnish
goods for return trips, de Brou
thinks.
Local groups interested in estab
lishment of the air service are the
Carolina Burberry association
Burgaw, and the Blower and Bulk
Growers association, represented
by John Nuckton. J. Swart and Mr.
Boet.
1--WE feel this is one of the big
gest things to happen to Whining
ton in years." Newman said yes
terday. eff the public supports it, i
can mean great deal to the city
ACT was organized in March
l945, with one Lockheed Lodestar
de Brou said. In October, 1915
seven CATS were secured and al
the present time the corporation
has in an order with Douglas Air.
craft company for three additiona.
planes. Main offices of the ACT is
in Newark, N. J. there are branch
offices in Miami and Chicago, he
said.