The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-04-08
POSTAGE
 IF PAY HRAISED
 E NEWS DICTlJM
Rate Schedule Calling For Millions Increase Goes
 To Committee
HAD URGED DELAY PENDING RESEARCH
Second Class, Insurance, Parcel And Registry
 Would Be Affected

4 WASHINGTON, April eT.-Post- master General New today condemned as unwarranted the postal salary in- creases proposed in bills before Con- gress and sent to Chairman Edge of the joint subcommittee on post offices his suggestion for salary increases with recommendations for increased postage and postal service fees to meet such a pay raise.
 Pending bills would increase postal expenditures $150,000,000 year, he said, and the state of the national bud get would not permit such expendi- lures. If any bill is passed increasing salaries, the revenue to meet the in creases must be raised by increases in postage rates, Mir. New declared. Sub hitting lengthy analysis of salaries of postal employees and similar classes of workers in private business, the Postmaster General said comparison re- vealed that the advantage rested with the postal employees.
 Would Delay Action
 T have urged the desirability of not undertaking the revision of postage rates until the results of the cost as- certainment now being conducted shall have become known. which will be in few months," said Mir. New. Tt has been made evident, however, that there is a strong desire on the part of the friends of these bills to legislate upon rates regardless of that situation" The salary increases suggested as substitute were worked out on a scale of an increase of $20O for clerks and carriers in first class offices having $600,000 annual revenues and $100 in first class offices having less than $600,- 900 annual revenues and in all second class offices.
 The increases would amount to $2.- 419920 for second, third and fourth class postmasters; $10,4S7 1895 for as- sistant postmasters, clerks and super visory employees; $7,010, 300 for city let ter carriers $6,210.000 for the railway mail service; $7,500.000 for the rural delivery service; $3,997 ,360 for clerks in third class post offices; $16S,990 for post office inspectors and the re- mainder for other classes.
 lq Increases Suggested
 The increases in postage and fee rates suggested by Mfr. New to meet the pay increases are: Second class mat ter, $4,9S5, 900, by Increasing rates on advertising matter -11a cents pound in first and second zones 1 "A cents in third gone and 4 cent in fourth zone.
 Third class. matter, $500,0 GOO, by in cooperating in fourth class matter all third class matter above eight ounces.
 Fourth class matter, $30, 100, GOO, by increasing parcel post rates beginning at nine ounces to and including eighth zone, and on the pound rates to and in cluding 70 pounds for local delivery and for first, second and third zones; increasing rates for fourth, fifth and sixth zones from nine ounces to five pounds, and for seventh and eighth zones to four pounds.
 Insurance fees, $1,75O,000, by in- creasing fee from to cents and to z cents, the 10 and 25-eent fees re- maining unchanged
 c. 0. D.. service, $1 100000, by in creasing fee from 10 to 12 cents for up to $10 establishing 15-cent rate for collections from $10 to $50 and continu- ing 9 cent fee for $50 to $100.
 Registry service, $1,100,000, by in- creasing fee from 10 to F cents and charging 1 cent for return receipt when requested.
 Special delivery service, $9000OO, by increasing fee to 15 cents for articles from 2 pounds to 10 pounds, and 20 cents for articles of 10 pounds and over. Money order service, $2,700,000, by rate increase averaging 2 cents per order, the increase being slight in most instances and decreases in others as follows:
 Not over $2.5O, 5 cents; over $2.50. and not over $7, cents; over $T.5O and under $10, 10 cents; over $10 and under $25, 12 cents; over $25 and under $50, 15 cents over $50 and un- der $75, IS cents; $75 and under $10O, 20 cents. a1s