Air mail, like grand opera, is something nobody expects to make a profit. But last week, with all the figures added up for the fiscal year ending last June 30, U. S. air mail revenue was reckoned at $15,301,210; contract pay to airlines at $14,564,256. Result: a $736,954 profit, first in U. S. air mail history.
Just when the Post Office was congratulating itself on having thus got some of its air mail subsidy bait back, news came from London that in June Imperial Airways expects to start flying mail over the Atlantic to Canada for 12¢ a half-ounce. This would be less than half the rate the U. S. had figured on if and when some U. S. airline decides to start flying the Atlantic. Only way to meet such a British rate would be to pay carriers the difference in outright subsidy, such as Imperial now enjoys.
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