Evening star., 1932-05-01
|41,792 FACE LOSS
OF JOBS IF POSTAL
CUT GOES THROUGH
Continued From First Page. }


compensation 500 instead of SITS as
at present.
OF 1880 clerks in first and second
class offices 9,el0 must go.
Rural Carriers Next.
Next in order comes the 5000 rural
carriers and then 1900 railway postal
clerks and others in this service out of
q total Of 21,211.
There would be 500 assistant post
masters dropped out of a total of 2,776,
while every one of the 1,008 village
carriers in places of from / 500 to 1000
population would go.
In the inspection service the crack
crime detection agency of the Post
Once Department. 81 employees out of
total of 664 are scheduled for dis
missal, these coming from the field
service.
There will be 344 removals out of a
total personnel Of 1913 in the motor
vehicle service and about SO dismissals
in miscellaneous capacities out of 238
employed.
The reason that the $50, 900 ,00s per-
sonnel appropriation would have to
bear the brunt Of the postal slash lies
in the fact that the remaining $685.
100000 in the bill is made up of ex-
penditures where there is very little
elasticity, nearly all going for the
this category being charged to ocean
and airmail subsidies.
Ocean Mail Most Costly.
OF the so-called Subsidized" services
that for the ocean mail is the most
costly, the estimated charge for the
next fiscal year being $32 ,228,840, for
handling the mail in American bottoms
If foreign ships were used, the same
mail could be transported for $3,8l2,-
$40, making the excess cost for hauling
under the American flag, $284l6, 900
But it is principal laid down in the
merchant marine act, postal officials
point out, that this expenditure be
made to build up American shipping
the mail contracts are on 10-year
basis, and consequently, even If 1t was
desired, the item could not be touched.
Further, it is indicated. there is feel
ing that this expenditure in the in
terest of promoting American shipping
Is wise one.
Airmail, also carried under subsidy
under 10-year contract, costs $4,000
600 for domestic handling and 81, 900 900
for foreign service-that Is, that to the
Latin countries.
Then there is an estimated $105, ,000,-
900 to go to the railroads for hauling
mail Here the rates are fixed by the
Interstate Commerce Commission and
the amount payable depends upon the
volume handled and is not subject to
departmental action.
Sees No Reduction.
Mr.. Brown points out that mo sub
stantial reduction" could be made in
this direction unless service were aban-
doned on many trains and post office
cars replaced by storage cars-that is,
cars where the mail simply would be
transported without being distributed by
postal clerks en- route. This as he
points out, would greatly slow up service.
Other transportation items are: S10,-
000, 900 for mail messengers, $14,615 900
for star routes, $4,000,000 for screened
wagon (niessenger) service and $4,000
900 for miscellaneous service, which in
cludes, for example, motor boat trans
port in some parts Of the country.
But in these cases, too, the service Is
generally covered by long-term contract,
and therefore, as Mr.. Brown points out,
susceptible of only a small reduction" !"
Next comes $4,000, 900 for rental,
heating and lighting of post office quar-
tiers, also covered in great part by
long-term contracts and, finally, ST.
100000 for supplies, equipment, travel
and miscellaneous operating expenses
barely sufficient to cover the depart
ment's minimum needs If the postal
service is to be continued" to quote the
Postmaster Generals letter to the Sem
ate Appropriations Committee.
Burden on Salaries and Wages.
Summed up then, that throws the
burden on the salary and wage funds.
AS the Postmaster General says, the
Presidents furlough plan, linked with
other proposed changes in wage allow
ance, will save the service, as will. it is
said, the original House proposal to cut
by IL per cent salaries in excess of
81 900, which also would change work.
ing conditions.
Other than that, the Post ONCE De-
partment head sees wholesale dismissals,
with disruption OF service, the only way
out
Making this point clear, he told the
committee If his warning went un-
needed, the responsibility for demoral-
izing the postal service and doing an
irreparable injury to thousands Of
faithful employees must rest upon some
one other than me"