WASHINGTON NEWS-LETTER
BY J J. ECKLES
Secretary to the Delegate
Cities ar»i towns in Alaska that Oo
not have airfields may yet enjoy the
benefits of air-mail service in the
near future if experiments now be
ing conducted in the development of
a pick-up anti delivery device for dis
charging mail or express - from a
plane in flight prove successful.
A demonstration of the automatic
pick-up and delivery system was
held recently at an airport near
Washington. A number of . Congress
men who witnessed the operations
saw heavy loads of mail picked up
and released to the grouse. b; air
planes traveling at nearly 190 miles
an hour. No special packing was
given the loads handled,rwlcch"includ
ed fragile glass objects in the ship
ments. all of which were delivered
« and takers up without'breakage. The
demonstration showed that stunt fly
ing is not required in this work, as
the pilot of the plane appears to
merely-fly his ship reasonably low
Toward the simple device on the
ground which holds the shipment. A
th;n steel cable with a hook on the
free end is lowered through the bot
tom of the plane and is guided to
an attachment holding the bag by an
anTle or V formed with a rope and
1 held above the ground by uprights.
The pouch ot other package is hock
ed and the cable is reeled up. draw
ing it into the pane as it speeds on
to its next point of delivery. The de
• vice automatically delivers its load
before making the pick-up of out
going mail
The device has been patented by
Ttr. Lytle S. Adams, who has be?n
■ wnrknp on the problem for some
years. During this time Dr. Adams
has been a frequent caller on Dele
gate Dimond who expressed interest
in the potential possibilities of the
equipment because of the ccms'der
afcle use that could be made of it in
Alaska, not only for delivery of mail
but of express shipments.
Last week an amendment to the
air-mail bill was favorably reported
to the House which would provide
$100. C0_ f ~r experimental service ir
several states for the next year to
determine the practicability of the
equipment and if further develop
ment is needed before making gen
eral use of it.
If the equipment is approved and
its use is made general in Alaska,
the Pv'otrjitf. said he could foresee
considerable expansion of tne routes
in the Territory where mail is car
ried by planes. In addition to mak
ing the air service available to many
towns that do not have airfields—
seme of which, because of topograph
ical features which make construc
tion of fields impossible, will never
have landing facilities—the opera
tion of this equipment should permit
air-mai contractors to lower their
bids under the figmes now current
and thus make possible the extension
of this service to many points where
it is not at present economically
feasible to make deliveries.
Secretary of the Interior lekes
j in his report recently made to th«
Committee on Territories on the bil
I introduced by Delegate Dimond t<
authorize the construction and oper
: ation of a Federal hospital for th(
! insane in Alaska, definitely recogniz
t es the desirability of a change fron
he present contract system of car
j ing for insane patients to the meth
| :>d that -would be provided through
:he enactment of the Delegate's bill
After summarizing the situatiot
with respect to the care of the men
j :al patients from Alaska from tin
i time the first call for bids -was is
sued. under authority of an Act ay
proved June 6. 1900, the Secretary’s
: report states:
"'It is believed the situation has
materially changed during the 3‘
years the contract system has beer
in effect. The erection of a hospita
; in the interest of the Territory oi
Alaska in 1900 with but one patienl
. in view, and with many matters con
! cerring the future of the Territory
unsettles,’ 'was hardly justifiable
Faced with this situation it woulc
appear that Congress resorted to a
temporary expedient and improvisec
upon the lowest bidder formula
which it had found satisfactory ir
protecting the Federal Treasury
when securing materials or when ar
ranging for services of a more im
personal nature. By February of
1937 the number of patients had
grown to 300 and at one time. Feb
ruary 1936, as many as 312 patients
were receiving care.
"The history of the care of the Al
aska insane is now sufficiently long,
and the number of patients suffi
ciently stabilized to warrant perman
ent provisions for their treatment.
The contract method can hardly b*
accepted as the basis upon which to
build permanent plans. The large
number of patients now hospitalized
:mits the freedom of the Secretary
f the Interior in choosing a contract
ing hospital. Psychiatric hospitals
are rare which are in a position to
consider a contract increasing then
patient lead by 300 persons. The ex
perience of the Department indicates
there' is none west of the Main Ridge
of the E cky Mountains. When com
petition becomes so restricted, the
contract method as prescribed ill ttt
law of 1909 runs the grave risk of
placing the Secretary of the Interior
at the mercy of the contractor both
:r. arrar-gng proper treatment for the
patients and in securing a reasonable
rate of payment. Further such a sys
tem lends itself entirely too easiiy
to attack on humanitarian grounds.
It is conceivable that despite proper
treatment at a reasonable figure, pub
lic sentiment aroused by a law re
auiring the insane to be delivered to
the lowest responsible bidder could
seriously interfere with both the
Government and the contracting in
stitution in the discharge of their ob
ligations to the patients.
"As a permanent plan for tne care
of the Alaska insane, the contract
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I method when viewed in the light <
its inherent limitations can hardly t
entertained. That the care of the A
j aska insane be placed beyond tl
1 profit motive is the logical solution.
The Secretary then recomment
that if the bill is to be enacted se'
eral changes in its construction 1
made which would broaden the sco|
of the measure. It appears that cot
siderable objection will be made t
enactment erf the bill because of tl
cost of undertaking the constrsctic
or purchase of a suitable estahlisl
menl for the purpose. In this conne'
tion the Acting Director of the Bi
reau of the Budget has advised “tha
the proposed legislation is iu r.m a
cord with the financial policies i
the President.”
i The tax of four cents a pound in
! Dosed on copper imported into tl
United States was continued in tl
bill to amend the Revenue Act i
: 1932. which pased the House June 1
[ I It is generally believed that this ite
will be maintained in the bill wh*
when enacted and thus resut in pei
ging the price of domestic products
of copper by at east four cents
pound above any possible minimu
The growing use of copper in mar
new channels also tends to mdica
that the industry will see furth<
prosrperity. In this connection tt
Mining Congress Journal pointed oi
that the use of copper in one part i
uar Federal project—Boulder Dam
amounted to 1,346.500 pounds, m
only in the electrical equipment, bi
in roof plates, doors, tubing, valve
f and hardware. 475.000 pounds was
e' used in the dac itself in expansion
I- strips, gate guides, and spillway
e drum gates. It is possible that the
” continuing demand may result ir ce
s velopment of new copper producing
- properties in Alaska.
e -
€ The first well drilled for oil. the
'■ Drake well of 1859. was 691* feet
° deep. Today wells 10.000 feet deeo
e are quite common,
n. -
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