Evening star., 1950-07-02

.. AoiAdiucol odyS Ile Couiu make
penses. He said II this was en-
forced it was the equivalent of
the wages for around $4,000
postal workers-one-tenth of all
employees.
Both the House and Senate
Appropriations Committees quick
ly recommended a law wiping out
the mail cuts Mr.. Donaldson or
dered April II. II the whole Con-
gress approved. it would have to
provide more money. of course.
There are critics who are say
ing the Post Office Department
isn't operated on an efficient,
business basis; that it could cut
some OF its services and the public
scarcely would know the differ
ence.
Mr.. Donaldson is quick to agree
with the last statement. He said,
in an interview. that some serv-
ices could be cut. He said this
has now been done to the point
where it is bringing complaints
although no essential services
have been cut. Does Congress
want him to go further?
An Associated Press inquiry in
a half dozen cities showed that
some business mail had been
slowed. A few firms complained
they had lost the chance to bid on
important business because of de-
layed letters. Some taxpayers
said they were for the cuts if it
would save money. A few people
complained because they said the
letter carriers had to walk far
ther and go without lunch.
tThe Post Office denied this. It
a route was Az miles. Before April
II postmen had to walk this twice
daily. for a total of about 9 miles.
Now the average distance Of a
route is 61a miles, walked once.
Mr.. Donaldson says the carriers
can take as much as two hours
for lunch in an eight-hour work
day.)
Some criticism came from the
Citizens Committee for the Hoov-
er Report. (This report, prepared
by former President Hoover and
a commission working with him,
proposed widespread reorganiza-
tion of Government departments
to make them more efficient and
to save money!
Some members of the Citizens
Committee have estimated ex-
pense could be reduced 5000 mil
lion a year by adopting Hoover
recommendations.
I Mr.. Donaldson has replied:
Ninety-six per cent of all post
Office expenditures are for labor
and transportation.
No Robot Mailmen
Congress outlines the services
the postoffice has to provide citi-
zens (there are 900 pages of de-
tailed laws and regulations). It
also sets wage rates for employees
(wages have increased $740 million
since 1945.) The Interstate Com
merce Commission sets rates for
transporting mail by surface
transportation. These costs have
increased $125 million a year since
1945.
II increases for Postofices leases
and similar costs are added to in
creased salary and transportation
expenses the total increase is
around 81 billion a year since 1945.
The department has approved
eight OF nine recommendations the
Hoover Commission made, Mr..
Donaldson says. He adds that
while these will improve manage
ment and efficiency, they won't
save a large amount of money.
One reason is that salaries rep
resent "a per cent of postal costs;
about IS per cent of manpower is
expended in collecting, distributing
and transporting the mails, Mr..
Donaldson says.
MIR. Donaldson believes the Post
office Department is more mech
anized than similar private bus
inesses, such as Railway Express.
But he adds:
Nobody has yet invented q
robot mailman"
He says the only way to save
money is by saving manpower
This is what he ordered done on
April II. He says this order will
not effect full-time employees COW
cred by civil service.
Mr.. Donaldson says first-class
mail is the only class that pays
its own way and shows a profit.
The Post Office is losing an esti-
mated $40 million a year on post
cards and Mr.. Donaldson has rec
commended the 1-cent rate be
doubled, wiping out part of the
loss.
Rate Boosts Urged
He estimates these other losses:
| Second class, newspapers and
magazines. 5000 million. /
Third class, circulars and ad-
vertising, $135 million.
Fourth class, parcel post, 500
million.
Special services, special delivery,
COD, ETC., $50 million.
These add up to about $500 mil
lion a year.
In addition there is loss of
about $3.50 million a year on free
services. This includes mail car
ried free for other Government