New-York tribune., 1918-05-17
Merchants Show
Serious Delay
In Mail Service
Report Of New York Asso.
citation Attacks Postal
Efficiency

WASHINGTON, May G.-Specifc
criticism Of the postal service of the
country was presented to-day at the
hearing set for that purpose bv the
Committee on Rules of the House of
Representatives by Frederick B. De
Berad. director OF research of the
Merchants Association of New York
The hearing was held in conjunction
with the Francis resolution calling for
an Investigation of the postal service
OF the country.
Mn. De Berad presented q detailed
report Of the Investigations carried on
by the New York Merchants Associa-
tion in conjunction with merchant as
sociatlons in virtually every large city
IN the country. The evidence required
five months to collect.
ne conclusions presented by Mr..
Dc Berad were that the serious delays
IN mail service We're general; that the
service had decreased while business
increased; that railway postal car ser
wee hasbeen decreased, and that there
are grave delays at the mail terminals
Results Of Test Letters
In the five months the association
spent in collecting data, Mr. De Berad
reported, 10000 letters were mailed to
various points in the country AS
many more test letters we're received.
II was found in this test that 54 per
cent OF the letters mailed were de
layed in delivery. Tweny-one per cent
were from four to six hours late;
20 per cent were from eighteen to
twenty four hours late and 312 were
from forty-two to forty-eight hours
late. Several extreme cases, where
the delay amounted to more than
ten days, were all found to be in the
matter of mail addressed to Southern
cities.
The report presented figures showing
that railway postal cars had been cut
out of service or their service curtailed
on 1912 trains out of total of 6,636
on which postal cars previously ran.
This decrease meant, expressed in
other terms, cutting out or reducing
service on 76,178 miles of railway
postal routes out of a total of 2l7.462
in the country.
After attacking various assertions
made by the postal authorities, such as
placing the blame for mail delays at
the door of the railroads, the associa-
tion's report declares it's belief that
the curtailment of the railway mail
service for the purpose of reducing the
cost of postal service is mistaken
policy.
Serious harm is inflicted upon the
entire people," said the report, "by an
impairment OF the mail service. While
needless outlays should not be permit
ted, it is likewise true that no reasona-
bic outlay necessary to effect the
prompt and certain delivery of mail
matter should be withheld.
Six Causes for Delay
"The evidence herewith clearly indi-
Gates that The efficiency of the Post
office at the present time is very ma
tcrlaliy less than the people have a
right to expect. 1t may be that un-
avoldable causes which we have been
unable to learn are responsible for this
condition, but, whatever the causes,
they should be fully developed, in
order that. in the event that it appears
that the present bad mail service is the
result OF defective methods, such
changes may be made as shall be re-
CURED to restore the efficiency of the
postal service"
After. summation of its findings,
WHICH showed six causes for seemingly
avoldable delays, the report concluded
with recommendation that the re-
suits of the inquiry be presented to
congress with request that a Joint
congressional committee be appointed
TO Immediately begin a comprehens siye
investigation Of the entire postal SER
vice, with view Of bringing ahout
such Improvement in it as NAV be
found necessary and practicable.
The hearing Of the Committea m
Rules Will be continued to-morro,,