Montana labor news., 1950-04-27
Doherty Asks People
To Fight Postal Cut

Washington - Congress and the
general public should meet the ord
er reducing L. 5. postal service By
stating in the most unequivocal
terms that the United States Post
Office belongs to The american
people everywhere.
That Is the answer suggested By
the. AEL National Association oil
Letter Carriers in 4 letter and state
ment from President W. {. bnheriy
and other officers.
Mr.. Doherty said that BY the ord
cr the historical role OF the system
as one OF swift. certain and depend
able ear Of communication i,
discarded" He said the pos, Office
is one oi the most useful american
institutions.
1T i not an instrument subject
10 the whim> al p%enny-wise and
pound foolish administrators he
said. The union sent the following
letter to members oi Congress.
I've are seriously alarmed over
The instructions contained i'll the
Postal Bulletin oi Tuesday, April
Is. Having spent the greater part
ul our lives in the postal service
and representing 100000 letter car
ricrS. wc feel that the orders will
r..,,l, a., rr.n,,,tl, ,l.,n,,. anI
the destruction OF our fine postal
system. 1t will make the great
postal ,crNice-ihe government iunc-
ton closer to the lives OF the Amcri-
can people-a second rate inferior
government agency.
I'VE have always been mighty
proud OF the TACT that the postal
| service rendered excellent necessary
service. The service ideal i, aSSas
>inated BY the orders issued by the
Post Office Department.
Delivery oi mail nationwide Is
restricted 10 one delivery a day i'll
| residential districts and service i,
greatly reduced in busineS, districts.
Parcel post deliveries are to be cut
i'll hall III business areas. Weekly
/. magazines such as Time, United
| State, News. Ncwsweek,' and all
| others that haze become an i'm
portan, part Of American life will
no longer receive expeditions hand
ling.
The prompt mail delivery that
the American people have been re
| wceiying will not be available.
"PoStmasters have been ordered
to discontinue directory service on
all ordinary mail other than perish
able matter and parcels OF obviou,
| value. This order contains many
other provisions, every one of them
seriously restricting the fine deliv-
cry now being afforded the Amcri-
can people and importing the postal
service itself.
These orders will result in ire
mendous money losses to American
business and great inconvenience to
the general public. Postal employees
particularly low-paid substitute,
will suffer greatly because OF the
reduction III the number OF trips
All this despite the following state
ment OF postmaster General Don
| aldson, which appears in the infa-
nous order:
splendid progress has been
made and the productive effort OF
the employees has been increased as
indicated by the accomplishments i'll
the fiscal year 1910, compared with
the fiscal year 1899. During that
period. the revenues increased more
than ll0.72 per cent, the number OF
pieces handled increased 0470 per
cent. the weight OF the mails in
creased more than l04.73 per ccni
while the increase in the number OF
employees vas less than IS43 per
cent,
I'VE appeal to you as a member
oi Congress to take Immediate cor
receive action against this devastat-
ing. illadviscd and unnecessary ord
err issued by the Post Office Depart
| mcnt under date OF Tuesday, April
lS"