The New York herald., 1921-07-30
Big POSTAL CHANGES
URGED FOR N. Y. CITY
Recommendations of Joint
Commission Submitted to
House and Senate.
NEW BUILDINGS NEEDED
Restoration of Tube Service
and New City Hall Station
Also Asked in Report.
sDeetar Despatch to The NEW YORK HzsnD.

New York Herald Bureau
Washington, d. c.. July c9.
Far reaching Improvements in postal
facilities for the city OF New York.
recommended by the Joint Postal Com
mission. were made public to-day in
Congress, Chairman Townsend of the
Senate presenting the recommend ations
to the Senate. and Representative Steen-
erson (Minn.) making them public In
the House.
AS previously published In THE New
YoRK HERALD, the commission strongly
recommends restoration Of the pneu-
matte tube service. the ultimate con-
struction OF a new building at the City
Hall station. provision for two addi-
tional buildings near the General Post
Office Building, one known as the Penn
sylvania Railroad site between Thirty
first and Thirty-third streets. west of
Eighth avenue and east of Ninth ave-
nue.. and the leasing of a site from the
Grand Central on Thirtieth street be-
tween Ninth and Tenth avenues Speak
ing OF these proposals, the report says:
1T should be said that land values in
New York are Aaturally high. but the
receipts of the New York Office last
year were s53,3O1,49S, and they are
increasing at the rate Of approximately
10 per cent. per annum. so that at the
end Of the ten year period for which
provision Is being made they will ap-
proximate S13S.oo0,00 annually.
fsp1l xf-s- <~;~,x
opportunity to segregate very large
volume of outgoing parcel post matter.
the desirability of affecting which segre-
cation in certain cases has been urged
before and will serve a very useful
purpose in affording the business Sec
ton station for the deposit OF bulk
mail. The plan outlined includes the
abandonment Of the present foreign sta
ton, now occupying an entirely separate
building but with very inadequate space
and facilities the removal from the
Grand Central Station Of many Of the
activities there conducted. and the
reallocation of space of all branches OF
the post ONCE and railway mail service
now located in the General Post Office.
City Hall Station Crowded.
Investigation made by the commits
sion has shown the urgent need of re-
lieving the situation at the City Hall
station. for many years known as the
General Post Office. and which is To-
Gated in the midst of New York's great
est office buildings. The receipts of
this station are as great as the receipts
OF the entire city of st. Louis, which
from the standpoint of postal revenues
ranks fifth among the cities Of the
United States
Referring to the exhaustive investiga-
ton made by the commission Of the
New York situation. the report states
that special attention has been given
to the following:
The seapost. the harbor boat service.
space requirements. the separation OF
parcel post from letter mail. breakage
and depreciation, the efficient and eco
nomical handling Of the parcel post. the
motor vehicle service. transmittal Of
mail by pneumatic tubes and centrali-
zatfon and decentralization.
The seapost. the report states may
be resumed by the Post Office Depart
ment. Before the war II was operated
between this country and Great Britain.
Germany. France. the Canal Zone and
Porto Rico. Legislation Is not neces-
sary for It's resumption, It is stated.
1t is said harbor boat service has been
Is made.
Discussing the parcel post situation
the report states that this class of mail
has reached such volume that provision
must be made for additional facilities
IN both the railway mail and the post
office. The proposed new buildings, It
fs considered. will take care of these
needs, the report asserting that "once
these facilities are made available the
problem involved in the segregation OF
the parcel post can be solved by admin
istrative action, resulting in improved
service and more economical operation
without the necessity of legislation
looking to separation of parcel post
from letter mails"
No Action on Motor Vehicles.
The situation regarding the motor We
hicle service Is reviewed. but without
recommendation. the report saying that
these are exclusively administrative
problems requiring no legislative action" "
The testimony on this question has been
referred to the Post ONCE Department
for action.
The question Of Capitalization and de-
Capitalization also is left to the Post
ONCE Department as an administrative
function
Inc commission declines 10 rlake any
accommodation on tile proposed tunnel
from the Grand Central Station to the
General Postoffice. Thus far" the re-
port says, mo franchise has been se-
cured. No legislative action Is called
for. No recommendation can me made
at this time"
The report discloses that certain
recommendations have been made by en-
gineers employed by the commission
which have not yet been put in effect
These are:
The investment Of the per cent.
postal savings reserve will earn about
$400.00 a year.
The elimination OF the Federal build
ing clause. the ninety day cancellation
clause and the furniture requirements
from post Office leases will save at least
s1.o0o,0 900 a year. and probably over
s2.o00,000. The department Is paying
from $3.50 to 81 square foot a year
for property with a sale value OF only
So to IS a square foot"
SERVICE BOARD HALTS