MORE AIR MAIL IN AMERICA

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21456, 24 April 1935, Page 12

MORE AIR MAIL IN AMERICA

RECORD TOTAL LAST DECEMBER

EFFECT OF LOWER RATE

WASHINGTON, March 24,

A marked increase in the volume of air mail carried in December was reported to-day by the Post-master-General (Mr James Farley), who stated that poundage reports from all over the country .showed an increase of 41.72 per cent, in that l.ionth ever the same month in 1933.

The total was 931,425 pounds, the heaviest poundage recorded for a single month. The previous high mark was recorded in October, 1934, when the total was 910,416 pounds. The figure for December wa§ an increase of 274,222 pounds over December, 1933, when, under the old air mail system, 057,203 pounds were carried. The previous high mark in October, 1934, represented an increase of 37,71 per cent, over the same month in 1933.

Figures on the air mail volume for the last quarter of 1934 showed an increase of 717,169 pounds over the same months in 1933. The total was 2,671,578 pounds, as against 1,954,409 pounds under the old system in 1933." "This tremendous increase in air mail volume," Mr Farley said, "coincides with the great expansion of the Post Office Department's new air mail system and also v/ith the lower air mail postage rate which became effective on July 1, 1934, reducing the rate from eight cents for the first ounce and 13 cents for each additional ounce to a flat rate of six cents an ounce.

"The new air mail system, which was set lip in the spring of 1934, gives direct service to 46 states and indirect service to the other two states, and also provides inter-island service in the Hawaiian territory, in addition to increasing the number of cities served from 152 to 193. The total population of the cities now served by air 1 mail exceeds

- ~000,000, with the present system embracing 28,973 route and 39,791,019 flown miles, as compared with 25,248 route and 34,937,691 flown miles under the old system."