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HELICOPTER AIR SERVICE PROGRAM        281

and also the Public Service Administration at that time did not feel that they had a facility there that they could let the public use.
  
Senator MONRONEY. How much did you make last year on your mail pay?
  
Mr. MOORE. For the carriage of mail?
  
Senator MONRONEY. Yes. How much was the income from it?
  
Mr. MOORE. Approximately $4,000.
  
Senator MONRONEY. Where you paid about $2.58 a ton mile?
  
Mr. MOORE. Yes. We are under the same formula that the other carriers are under on that.
  
Senator MONRONEY. At $2.58 a ton mile?
  
Mr. MOORE. Yes, sir.
  
Senator MONRONEY. You couldn't possibly make money if you had the whole plane load of mail, could you?
  
Mr. MOORE. It would be very difficult. Impossible.
  
Senator MONRONEY. When was the last time this rate was adjusted?
  
Mr. MOORE. That rate was decided when Reorganization Plan 10 was passed in October 1953.
  
Senator MONRONEY. In other words, you haven't had any increase since 1953?
  
Mr. MOORE. No. As the plan indicates, the helicopter rates were decided on an arbitrary basis. Actually, we received the same rate that some of the local airline services received. Of course, we are performing a much different function in carrying the mail shorter distances than locals.
  
Consequently, a higher ton mile--
  
Senator MONRONEY. You transfer now from downtown to Meigs Field, to O'Hare?
  
Mr. MOORE. At the present time our mail flights just run between O'Hare, Midway, and Gary, Ind. There is no mail carried downtown at the present time.
  
Senator MONRONEY. At the time you were denied the use of a downtown heliport and had to go to Meigs Field to find one, were you landing a part of that time on the roof of the post office?
  
Mr. MOORE. At that time we still had our mail-only service for the small helicopters on the roof of the post office.
  
Senator MONRONEY. The mail has not been downtown any more?
  
Mr. MOORE. Not now, no, sir.
  
Senator MONRONEY. Where do you go downtown? In Gary?
  
Mr. MOORE. In Gary?
  
Senator MONRONEY. You say you fly a route, mail route, from Gary, Ind., to Midway, and from there to O'Hare.
  
Mr. MOORE. Yes. Principally that was taken to O'Hare and connected with the fix-wing airlines.
  
Senator MONRONEY. What I am trying to determine is where do you land in Gary, Ind. Do you land at an airport or downtown?
  
Mr. MOORE. We land on the airport at Gary because it is centrally located. Actually, it serves Gary, Hammond, Whiting, and East Chicago. It is right in the middle of that industrial complex.
  
Senator MONRONEY. It is an airport-perimeter town, and not downtown?
  
Mr. MOORE. That's right. It serves these towns that surround the airport.

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