Page 40 - Demo

Indianapolis Postmaster Robert H. Bryson declared Thursday, October 25, 1929 as Air Mail Day. His goal was to get citizens to send enough letters by Air Mail to break the local single-day Air Mail record of 112 pounds. That record had been set on August 1, on the day the postage rate for Air Mail was halved from a dime to a nickel. The reduction was a significant incentive to use Air Mail, because the regular rate to send a letter remained at 2 cents. Bryson pointed out that the bulk of the 112-pound record consisted of 84-pounds of advertising material that had come by train from Ohio for Indianapolis distribution.To enlist aid, Bryson sent letters to local businesses, luncheon clubs, and other organizations, asking for their help. He said L.S. Ayres had already committed to mail a large number of postcards featuring a picture of their store%u2019s new addition. The local Air Mail contractor, Embry-Riddle Company, a Cincinnati firm, said it was also cooperating with the effort.Postmaster Bryson explained that Air Mail Day was planned as an educational campaign to get more people to use the service on a regular basis by calling attention to Air Mail%u2019s advantages. He also hoped that regular usage and more poundage would open up additional routes. The Chamber of Commerce had been in talks with officials from an east-coast city to see if a route there would be feasible. Direct routes to Detroit, Toledo, and Cleveland were also under consideration. In noting that time is money, Bryson said the amount of time saved by using Air Mail could be significant. Overall, Indianapolis%u2019 Air Mail Day was a success and the record was broken, with nearly 5,000 letters being sent%u20142,000 by L.S. Ayres. In addition, Real Silk Hosiery Mills sent out a large batch of letters. Local stamp collectors produced commemorative envelopes for the occasion, featuring an image of the Soldiers%u2019 and Sailors%u2019 Monument, with an airplane circling it. One local collector delivered 1,100 of these to the Post Office before noon.Black cachet. Backstamped Chicago, Illinois, October 25, 1928.