The Washington times., 1925-01-01
MAIL COST
REPORT IS
SCORED
Executive Assistant to Post
master General Trying In
timidation, Says Legislator :
By CONGRESSMAN
M. CLYDE KELLY.

vi. GLUE hELLY.
On an interview with william HARDY
The Postoffice Department has
conferred almost magical benefits
upon the American people, but
like every other Government de-
partment, it is cons ,antly threat
ened by the paralyzing evil Of
bureaucracy.
In Joseph Stewart, executive
assistant to the Postmaster Gen
eral, our present Postoffice De.
partment has produced the master
bureaucrat.
It happens that in Legislative
fact there is legally no such posi-
tion as executive assistant to the
Postmaster General.
Bureaucracy Made Post.
Congress has never made any
such position. The bureaucracy
has made it,. Mr.. Stewart occupies
It. and, occupying it, he proceeds
to try to WELD more power than
the representatives OF the people
assembled in Congress.
His latest feat, at the peak of
his career as the Master Bureau
crat of all time in the United
States, Is his Postoffice Depart
ruent Cost Ascertainment9 report,
In logical deduction from which
there would be promiscuous gem
eral increases of rates spread over
virtually all users of the mails in
oeder to make them carry-or in
order to make them opposite
now prospective increase OF $685.
100000 year in the pay of postal
employees.
Mr.. Stewart has long been de-
eerInined that there shall be no in
crease in the pay of postal
with the POstOffice Department.
uled by it's own bureaucracy.
Congress Opposed.
Such a plan, so favored, was
brought forward. Congress re-
jected It and enacted a plan OF its
own. The Department wanted the
pay Of the employees increased in
certain manner. Congress pro-
ceeded to increase the pay Of the
employees in another manner.
Mr.. Stewart and the department
thereupon produced technical argu-
ments which led to the veto Of
the bill.
The validity of technical argu-
ments by the Postoffice Depart
ment's bureaucracy may be estima-
ted by examining the arguments
which it brings forward in its
present cost ascertainment" re-
port.
Let US look for a moment at
the method used in calculating the
relative costs Of delivering the sew
oral different classes Of mails to
people in cities or to people on
rural free mail delivery routes.
Method of Finding Cost.
This method consists of making
those costs depend upon the mum
Der Of stops made by the carrier. :
Apparently If he made no stops
at all and just kept on walking or
driving, there would be no costs.
However, as soon as he stops
moving and halts, the costs be-
gin.
Now note how those costs are
"allocated" between and among
the several different classes of mail
matter.
If he carrier brings you twenty.
nve letters end one newspaper, half
of the expense OF his stop is aIIo-
Gated 10 first class mail, which
carries letters, and half Of IT is
Gllocated to secoud-class matter,
which carries newspapers.
III he additionally and at the same
time, brings you one circular, one
third Of the expenCe of his stop
IL allocated to first class mail, one
third TO second class mail, and one
third to third-class mail, which car.
ries circulars
II he, in addition to these things,
brings you also one parcel post
package Of bird-seed, then one-fourth
OF the expense of his stop IS allo-
Gated to first class mail, e.fourth
to second class mail, one-fourth to
third claEs mail and one-fourth TO
fourth class nail, which is the par.
col post.
Thus. no matter how uneven the
amounts may be of the several
classes OF T:lail delivered at Il stop,
@AAO 1Au1CdL4OH u the cOSL or the
stop between and among them is
always even and equal.
Time Makes No Difference.
And thus, even If the newspaper
and the circular and the package
Of bird-seed are delivered tardilv.
and even IL the twenty-five letters
are delivered promptly, it turns
out, under the rule of bureaucracy.
complicated by accountancy, that
II costs the Post Office Department
three times as INCH to deliver the
newspaper and the circular and
the package of bird-seed, nut
together, as 1t costs 1t to deliver
the twenty-five letters.
This Is perfectly typical of the
bureaucracy at it's summit of
development. 1t spends one
mliIliOn dollars putting billions of
mfinftesimal details into a Cost
Ascertainment" report and gets