The super-Handley-Page or the Caproni could easily carry fifty
bags, or more than a ton of mail. This means 100,000 letters. Judging
the future development of aircraft by what has taken place in the last
two years, we may look for the building of a 5,000-horse-power airplane,
possibly within a year.
If the people of the various cities along the eight great air-ways
already proposed insist on it, at least a dozen additional aerial mail
lines can be established within twelve months. This can be done by
utilizing only machines not needed by the army or navy. That means it
will be possible to send by postplane at least 50,000,000 of the
100,000,000 day and night letters, and at least 25,000,000 of the
50,000,000 special delivery letters that are sent each year in the
United States.
Postoffice officials estimate that the average cost of telegraphic day
and night letters now going over the wires is close to one dollar each.
Special delivery letters average about thirteen cents apiece.
This makes a total of more than fifty million dollars' worth of
potential aerial mail business that is simply waiting for the
establishment of aerial mail routes which can easily be established
within the next twelve months.
Four hundred miles is the distance over which postplane day mail is most
effective.
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