The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1932-09-29
2-CENT MAIL
RETURN URGED
after PROBE
Scent Postage Brought
Revenue Decline, Says
Congress Subcommittee.
STARVING PAY CHARGED
Hoover FurIough Plan Has
Not Spread Employment,
Is Claim.
BY WALTER STONE
Times Stad Writer


WASHINGTON, Sept. 29-The
house postal Subcommittee is of
on a flying start in its investigation
of the postal service. After list
ening to witnesses Tor two days, the
subcommittee acted as follows:
Cd Recommended unanimously
that the f1rst-class postage rate be
reduced from to 2 cents.
90 Appointed a special subcom-
mittee to call at the White House
and protest to the President that
his furlough plan, instead of spread
ing out employment among postal
workers as was promised, has
forced some 10000 to work at star
Walton wages.
90 Filed a protest with the comp
troller- general declaring that his in
terpretations of the econmy act,
contrary to law, have Slashed the
pay of some employees receiving less
than $1,000 year and forced others
to accept reductions as high as Is
per cent.
T - Agreed to reconvene in Chi
cago, Oct. IL, to continue inquiries
into postal leases and subsidies.
Decline in Post Revenues
A bill restoring 2-cent postage
should be prepared for introduction
on the first day of the forthcoming
congress session, the subcommittee
said, because since the Scent rate
went into effect, July 6, there has
been a decline in flrst-class postage,
and decline in postal revenues.
1T is a desire Of the Subcomf1it-
tee," said a formal statement, ito
build up the mails so as to provide
more revenue, and more work OPP
portunities for the postal employees
and substitutes, who are being de-,
prived of employment as a result of
the decreased postal business"
Representative of the subcom-
mittee will tell President Hoover,
either today or Friday, that, con-
trary to law and the intent Of con-
gress, the postoffice department has
adopted a policy of assigning Sun
day, holiday and overtime work to
regular employees.
FurIough Working AssaiIed
They will remind the President
that he promised that his furlough
plan would give employment to the
10000 substitute postal workers,
whereas the actual effect has been
to deprive them of most of what lit
tie employment they did have.
The President will be told, for
example, that in Philadelphia, sixty
one substitute poStoffice laborers
now are earning an average of $4.25
a week, and are able to keep body
and souls together only through
contributions of regular employees.
The bill of complaint filed with
the comptroller general expressed
displeasure with his rulings denying
military leave to government en-
ployes, requiring an S1-3 per cent
reduction in the pay of substitute
mail carriers, substitute letter car
riers and special delivery letter car
riers earning less than $1,000 a year,
and forcing postal supervisors to
8 1-3 per cent reduction in addition
to automatic reductions caused by
decrease in postal business.
Want 2Cent Postage
The law the sihcon,nnittee sold
specifically said that no employees
pay was to be less than 81 2-3 per
cent of his salary for the previous
year. Some supervisors and rail-
way mail clerks are said to have
suffered reductions as high as Is
per cent.
Return of 2-cent postage also is
being considered by the postoffice
department, which is disappointed
because the higher rate has not re-
suited in increased revenues.
A Scent rate for first-class post
age was one of the measures adopt
ed in an attempt to balance the
budget. Postmaster General Brown.
at that time, Estimated it would
bring in from $135, 00O, 900 to $780,
100000 additional. In a speech at.
a poStmasters' convention recently,
Brown said that revenues were
about the same as last year.