Evening star., 1950-04-19
Single Delivery
OF Mail 10 End
200 Jobs Here
Economy Order Will
Cut Post Office Hours:
Businesses Affected

service 10 CONFORM 10 the new
economy drive ordered by Post
master General Jesse NJ. Donald
son will limit the National Capt.
tai to single home delivery,
spaced between 8 am. and 4 pm.
Amplifying the order issued late
yesterday. Postmaster Roy NJ.
North said today that approx
mately $50 carriers and perhaps
so clerks would lose their Jobs
and that the total savings here
would run between 100000 and
$S00,000 annually. He said the
residential delivery reduction will
be only one feature of a series OF
retrenchmentS designed to cut
into the traditional postal deficit
which amounted to 1851 million
as of last June 30.
The complete readjuStment is
scheduled by July /. but many
OF the economies will be felt by
May l9-which gives the public
a 30-day period in which to pre-
pare. This is to cover affected
business operations. such as re-
ceipt of mail at the windows and
back platforms of post Offices.
Protest Comes Quickly.
Reaction to the proposed cut
back was quick in coming. Sena-
tor Wiley. Republican, of Wiscon-
sin termed the order outrageous
and declared:
Fifty million tired taxpayers
have been hit in the mailbox.
There is a need for more mail
service rather than less"
Senator Wiley suggested the
postal cutback had been timed to
put pressure on the Congress"
in the lawmakers consideration OF
the annual bill for postal funds
which includes a request for in
creased funds and rates. He also
noted it came before Congress
lldu dSUCd OAl ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
made by the Government reor-
ganiZation commission headed by
former President Hoover.
The program also brought an
immediate protest from the Amer
lean Federation of Labor Associ-
alton of Letter Carriers, which
described it as rape of the
postal service" and said that pro-
tests would be made to Congress.
Some members of Congress
took the stand that the economy
drive actually was a pressure
move" designed to get Congress
to give the department more
money
Chairman Cannon of the Ap-
preparations Committee COM
mented that the decision to curb
service seems well-timed."
Other Attacks Expected.
He added that storm of pro-
tests from mail users probably
will follow the departments de-
cision and is bound to be re-
f1ected when House members vote
on postal funds in the omnibus
appropriation bill, probably next
week.
There has been an organized
campaign to increase almost
every allotment in this BILL" Mr..
Cannon said. The bill already
carries more money than the
country can afford to spend, and
1 am going to fight every move 10
increase its total"
Representative Taber of New
York. top Republican on the COM
mittee, said he would go further
and demand that there not DO
no increases but that the bills
total be trimmed substantially.
For the Post Office Department.
the bill would allot $2,207. 900 900
for the fiscal year beginning July
l. This is a reduction of $28
million from what the President
requested. but $105 million more
than the department received for
the current fiscal year.
The Postmaster General has
asked for a 5000 million increase
in postal rates but the House cut
that figure to $100 million an
nually, which Mr.. Donaldson said
would be wholly insufficient" to
cover present operations. The is
sue is now up to the Senate.
Other Changes Listed.
Other important changes will
include these:
l.. Not more than two deliveries
on Saturday in business areas
normally receiving three de-
liverieS, and only one delivery in
similar areas now having two
deliveries.
2. Neighborhood stores and
neighborhood professional Offices
to receive only one delivery day.
3. In mixed business and resi-
dental territory. where a second
delivery is required by business
establishments, the second deliv-
cry force will be cut to a mini
mum.
4. Reduction Of collections from
street letter boxes. with the last
pickup Of the day timed to put
the mail in the local postoffice not
later than $50 pm.
Important local changes in
hours will include these:
l. The main postoffice near
Union Station will close at 6 pm.
Some windows, such as stamps
and registrations. now operate
until midnight.
2. Other Offices will close at
$50 pm. This includes the Ben
jamin Franklin Station. at