Evening star., 1922-01-11
POST OFFICE BILL
CUT $24,736,691;;
AIR MAIL DROPPED
Report of House Committee
Provides $555, ,964,375
for 1923 Expenses.
Departmental COSTS
INCLUDED IN MEASURE
All Appropriations Consolidated.
Nine Per Cent Increased Rev.
enue Predicted.

With provisions for the air mail
service eliminated, the annual post
Office appropriation bill. carrying
approximately S555.964.375 was fav-
orably reported today by the House
appropriations committee.
As drafted by a subcommittee. the
measure provided s1,935.000 for the
air mail service during the fiscal
year beginning next July /. The
full committee. however. in approv-
ing the bill struck out this section.
The total of the bill is $24,707,s76
less than the 1922 appropriations and
is $24,735,691 less than the amount
requested in the budget for the fiscal
year, 1923.
No item in the bill is in excess of
the amount recommended in the bud
get, except where a consolidation was
requested which the committee did
not allow.
No new item of legislation appears
in the bill. The bill embraces p an
items of appropriation for the POST
Office Department, both in the Dis
trict of Columbia and in the field, IN
GLIDING appropriations for the depart
mental service in the District, here
tofore not charge upon the federai
200. 900.
Estimate Revenue Increase.
It is estimated that the revenues
for the fiscal year 1923 will show an
increase over the current fiscal year
of about 8 per cent.
Numerous requests were presented
in the estimates for increases in pay
in the statutory positions in the oe-
in a
Columbia. These have all been denied
in accordance with the general policy
of the committee, pending the enact
ment of recla assification legislation
for the departmental service general
ey. The salaries of employees in the
Held service of the Post Office Depart
ment as provided for in this bill, are
based upon the schedules and rates
prescribed by the postal reclasslnca-
tion act Of June S. 1920 and July a.
The bill carries total for salaries
| unde.- the Postmaster General and the
four assistants Of S1.902,3Se. which is
S146,05O less than the budgetary estf-
mates. For contingent expenses In
Washington the bill carries $1.2I5,o0o.
which is an increase Of sl96.!oo over
the current appropriations and $4,000
less than the budget estimates. For
the bureau of accounts the bill car
ries $923,070. which is $4,000 less
than 1922 approprtat tons and $12s.Ooo
less than the budget estimates. The
grand total for the Post ONCE De- /,
partment is s4.l00,950, which is $10s.-'
PA more than for the current fiscal
year and S361,050 less than the budget
estimates.
The appropriations for the Post Of
flee Department. customarily carried
in the legislative. executive and judi
cial appropriation bill, and the item
for printing and binding. customarily
carried in the sundry civil act. have
heretofore been paid from the general
treasury by the appropriations GUS
tomarily carried. The post office bill
has been payable from the postal
revenues In consolidating all the ap-
propriations for the department IN
one bill the committee has reco..i-
mended that all expenses from the.
department be paid from the postal
revenues to the extent that they are
sufficient therefor.
In explaining the elimination OF
the air mail service item, Chairman
Madden said that opposition devel-
oped among members of the COM
mittee to the appropriation on the
ground that transportation OF mails
by air had proved expensive and not
particularly efficient. Members also
felt, he said. that the Army and Navy
were adequately developing aero
nautics as far as the government
was concerned.