Postmaster Brown and Air Mail Costs - Essay Example

Improvements made by Postmaster Brown were radical. He had convened the conference “to get airline operators to agree to a consolidation of the various airmail routes into three or four coast-to-coast networks operated by the best equipped and most financially stable companies” (ecommcode2.com, 1999). It was United Airlines that kept the northern airmail routes; Transcontinental and Western Airlines (TWA) operated in the middle of the US; and American Airways flew across the southern part. Additionally, Brown stripped all the benefits for air mail transportation and created incentives for passenger flights.

Unfortunately, Brown fell into political disfavor when the new Democratic president Franklin D. Roosevelt was elected. In 1993 charges were made against the postmaster for collusion, illegal administration, and unfair mail awards. Small aviation companies, which were pushed out of the business complained along with Senator Hugo Black who investigated the air mail case, accusing Brown of improper use of the power he gained. The conclusion was Brown had made it so, that the air mail business had gone completely to friends of the Hoover administration.

Nevertheless, they could not charge Brown for incompetence or unsuccessful policy. “During his tenure, aircraft had become more efficient and the cost of carrying the mail had fallen dramatically. In 1933, costs averaged just 54 cents per mile over a wide system of 34 routes that spanned 27,000 miles” (Centennialofflight.gov, 2003). When Brown stepped into the postmaster position the cost per mile of air mail was $1.10. When he left it was halved to 54 cents. The way Walter Brown has used his power has made him the most controversial figure. Yet, I believe his actions were ahead of his time.

After Brown had left the office air mail transportation was performed by military planes and pilots. It was a disaster. Military aviators were not trained to fly cross-country or in bad weather. Moreover, their planes were not equipped with landing lights. Because of frequent crashes costs of air mail flied up to $2.21. Airmail was recovered only in 1941. The aviation industry was regulated by the government after Brown’s departure. It became deregulated only in 1978, promoting free competition among private companies. The return on the path started by Walter Brown was inevitable for the prosperity of commercial aviation. Sadly, it became obvious only on a long timeline.