Evening star., 1932-04-24
POSTAL HEAD HITS
BIG PAY ROLL CUTS
Nearly 10000 to Lose Jobs
Under Senate Plan,
Brown Ayers.

Between 10000 and 10000 postal
workers in Washington and the field
must be dropped from the rolls, and the
service will be demoraliZed should the
fiat reduction of 10 per cent ordered by
the Senate in the Post Office Depart
ment appropriation be effected, without
adopting the Presidents plan proposed
70 the House Economy Committee. ac-
cordlng to a statement by Postmaster
General Brown, prepared for publica-
ton yesterday.
The statement, in which the Post
master General covered the field of
financial affairs in his department, was
presented to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
substantial reductions in this time of
emergency should be and can be made"
ne SAID. but, as the President has re-
peatedly pointed out, this cannot be ac-
compllshed without diScharging from
SO,ooo to 10000 postal employees, and
araStlcally curtailing the postal service,
unleSs Congress, as provided by his
pan, Will meet the necessity of sus-
peholng or amending the laws which
impose unnecessary expenditures on
tne postal service. If the Presidents
pan is adopted the savings can be
rieallzeo except where the Government
Is unoer definite contractural obliga-
tlon TO make definite expenditures.
DeplOres Senate Plan.
Analysis of the items in the House
oliI, Brown continued, show that the
arpltrary reduction proposed by the
oeldte Is altogether ill-adviSed unless
accompanied by suspension or amend
ment Of the laws to which reference
has been made"
First, he pointed out, $1O5, ,OO0, 900 is
1or carrying the mails by rail, which
Wou!o allow no substantial cuts unless
service IS abandoned on many trains
dLlo storage cars substituted for post
oLiCe cars, tnuS slowing up the service"
ABOUT S9O,OO0,000 goes to other car
rlerS-Sh1ps, planes and star routes
largely on long-term contracts, which,
assuming the Government intends to
carry out its obligation, is susceptible of
only small reduction"
1nen, he continued, there is S23. .0OO.-
OoO Tor rental, heating and lighting of
post ofhce quarters, also for the most
part on long-term contracts, and Sl7,-
OOO 1000 for supplies, equipment, travel
ana miscellaneous operating expenses,
Darely Suflclent to cover minimum
needs" if the postal service is to be
continued
These four items aggregate $685.
OO,OOO,' he continued. THE remainder
of the amount carried in the House
bill for the postal service, approximately
S57O.000, 000 is for salaries and wages
of the officers and employees of the de-
partment in the District of Columbia,
and salaries, wages and allowances of
poStmasters, supervisors, clerks, carriers,
messengers, laborers, WatChmen and
other employees in the field.
Pay Roll Hit Hardest.
"Thus 1t is manifest that more than
three quarters of the $80,000,000 which
the Senate proposes to cut from the
bill must be applied against the appro-
wages. The necessary reduction in this
item will compel us to drop from the
rolls between 10000 and 10000 postal
workers of all classes. including depart
mental employees assistant postmasters,
clerks, city and village carriers, rural
carriers and railway postal clerks.
Obviously. there will not be avail
able a sufficient force to maintain the
present postal facilities. 1t will be
necessary to consolidate about 5000
rural routes and place about 5000
others On basis of tri-weekly instead
of daily service. Delivery service must
Dc ULSCOHtuluCu III tNGly oman bONAi'
In the cities it will be necessary to re-
duce residential deliveries to one day
and business deliveries to not more
than two a day. The hours of window
service at post Offices must be reduced,
and, wherever the terms Of leases will
permit, post Office stations and branches
must be closed"
The Postmaster General told the
committee that if necessary an excise
tax may be levied on postal operations,
"juSt as upon the business of any
other public utility" but he added,
'the revenue derived therefrom should
not be covered into the general Treas
ury at the expense to the service OF
postal patrons who buy the service and
pay the tax"
He warned. too, tina, postal opera
tionS cannot be maintained by with
holding appropriations now and voting
a deficiency bill later, explaining, we
are obliged by law to limit eXpendi-
lures week by week and month by
month to the ratable share of the gross
sum appropriated for eacn respective
item"
Concluding, Brown said "in my judg-
ment the rank and file OF postal work
ers will much prefer the Presidents
plan of 80 days furlougn without pay,
which preserves the basic wage scale,
to the plan proposed by members OF
the House Economy Committee, which
involves substantially 10 per cent re-
duction in basic pay, or the Senate's
proposal, which involves the discharge
of thirty or forty thousand of their
fellow employees"
The Presidents plan For staggering
work, he said will discharge no one,
but will give employment to at least
10000 substitutes"