Evening star., 1932-02-26
SLASH IN A|RMA|L
+ FUND IS APPROVED
MaIadminisiration Charged
by Members of House
Committee.

I Following charges of maladministra-
ton by the Post Office Department IN
connection with the contract a1rmall
service, the House Appropriations Com
mittee has voted to slash the approprl-
Il alton for maintenance OF the service
: from the $21 100000 originally request
ed by the department to $4,000, 700.
This is a reduction OF Sl,0O0,00O below
the Budget allowance.
Members of the committee expressed
the belief there should be a complete
shake-up in the airmail administration,
but put off an investigation by the
committee because OF the lack OF time
allowed for handling the bill.
II think that if We took time enough
to go into this domestic airmail sltua-
ton, We could find enough inside OF 1t
to Justify a reSetup OF the whole puSl-
ness" Representative Abernethy OF
North Carolina told members OF the
committee, it is disclosed by publication
of the hearings on the TreaSury-Post
ONCE appropriation bill, reported to the
House this week.
Byrns Favors Inquiry.
Chairman Byrns of the committee
expressed the opinion there ought to
be an investigation" and declared he
and every member of the subcommittee
handling the airmail appropriations
would be glad to join in supporting
resolution for an inquiry.
Because of the burden OF approprla-
tions work, he said. the Appropriations
Committee is in no position to under
take a detailed investigation. Proper
Investigation. Mr.. ByrnS said, probably
would REQUIRE three or four months.
The committee devoted approximately
half its time in connection with the
hearings on the appropriation for both
Treasury and Post Office Departments
to the airmail situation. 1t heard
charges that the Post Offlce Depart
ment is creating an airmail monopoly
by squeezing out competition; that 1t Is
ignoring the principles OF competitive
bidding and handing out contracts TO
favored companies, and that 1t has ig-
nored requests of independent air trans
port operators which would save the
Government vast sums OF money.
Members of the committee, led by
Representative Abernethy, took officials
of the Post Office Department to task
for expenditures of $7,000,000 for trans
portation of foreign airmail, practically
all of which was paid to Pan American
AirWays They said requests Tor domeS-
tic service had been ignored and pleas
of independent operators to be permit
ted to carry mail at far less than cur
rent contract rates were turned down.
Spends s27,OOO,OOO Year.
1--WE have set-up here" Representa-
live Abernethy told W. I. Glover, Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster General in
charge of airmail, under which the
Government at the present time is
spending approximately $20,000000
year for domestic airmail and ST 100000
a year for foreign airmail. You have
a number of operating companies in
this set-up that are carrying this mail.
Then, according to the Postmaster
General himself, you have responsible
bidder who offers to come in here and
carry the whole thing for one-half the
amount you are now paying. Now, as
one member of the committee, I want
% know about that. We have num-
Der of members of Congress who want
lew routes established, but We are told
" the committee that we cannot go
beyond the Budget. I do not under
7tand why the Budget should give or
iubmit an estimate of S7,0O0,000 to
AIRY the mail to South America, and
Ut the same time cut off the amount
-or carrying the domestic mail"
It was proposed to the committee
hat the airmail rate should be in
reased from 5 to cents per ounce to
I'D in establishment Of new routes, but
10 action was taken by the committee
m this proposal.