Evening star., 1950-07-02

time.
Postmaster General Jesse N
money II Congress would let bin
charge the rates Franklin charged
80 cents per page for carrying
q letter 80 miles; as cents pei
page for more than 400 miles. The
fees for two-page letters were
double.
"There was no city or rural
delivery" says Mr.. Donaldson
People went to the. post office
to get their mail"
Franklin was Postmaster Gen.
eral for the Colonies under British
rule. He didn't get his pay Of
800 pounds q year until the posts
showed q profit. The FIRST yeal
he lost about 900 pounds sterling
an old document shows, but even
tually he built the Colonial post
Office into a paying business FOL
the British and took his salary
out of profits.
Like the British. the United
States Government at first tried
to operate the Post ONCE Depart
ment strictly as a profit business
Franklin was the first Postmaster
General. After 1888 the depart
ment drifted into losses.
Many Services Added
Among Franklin's major worries
were mail bootleggers who trans
ported mails and pocketed the fees
instead of turning them over to
Government. But there was a law
providing the death penalty for
people who stole from the mail.
No mail bootleggers worry Mr..
Donaldson today, but postal em-
ployes have such other worries as
trying to deliver baby chicks alive
and such additional tasks as writ
ing postal money orders.
These and many services have
been added to the Post Office
since Franklin's day. At first only
letters and newspapers were car
ried.
OF all the services that have
been added, only one-postal saw
ings-pays it own way, Donaldson
says. And of the four classes OF
mail, only one-f1rst-class mail,
mostly letters-pays its own way.
Some people regard all present
services as indispensable to the
public. They say service should
be at a high level. regardless of
cost, and that the Government
should pay losses out of tax money
Mr.. Donaldson wants to keep
service at high level, but he also
wants to make the services pay
most Of their own way. He says
this would mean substantial in
creases In second, third and fourth
class mail. And this has brought
resounding complaints.
The Post ONCE Department Is
the largest single civilian business,
or service. In the Nation today
In the last few months It's payroll
has dropped from 536,o00 en-
ployes TO $4,000, one OF the few
Substantial reductions IN total
postal employment and the only
cut, since the depression year Of
1885.
The department was spending
ut the rate Of $2.277 .000, 900 q
year until last April, when Mr..
Donaldson had some words with
Congress over the size of the
budget. He issued an order April
IT curtailing service, hoping to
save SIC, ,000. 900 q year.
The department was taking in
money ut the rate Of about ST.
6s1 ,0o0, 900 q year. Mr.. Donaldson
estimated. There would have
been o deficit Of around $500 mil
lion in the fiscal year starting
July If there had been no cut
In service and no increase In
rates. This is around 81 for
every man, woman and child
counted in the 1850 census.
But these deficits have been
occurring for years. in smaller
amounts. so why all the fuss over
this years deficit?
Cut Brings Complaints
Mr.. Donaldson is the first career
postal worker ever appointed
Postmaster General. He was once
q letter carrier. Possibly he is
less conscious of vote-catching
politics than some postmasters.
Mr.. Donaldson was in wit.
ness chair last April asking the
House Appropriations Committee
for $2,235, GOT 900 for next year
The committee said it thought
Mr.. Donaldson should economic
Mr.. Donaldson said he originally
had asked $2.277 .000, 600; the
Budget Bureau clipped away 81
million, and he said that was rock
bottom.
Nevertheless the committee
recommended Mr.. Donaldson plar
some more cutting-$28 million
worth. The whole House agreed
cutting the budget to $2,207, 900,
900. about $40 million less thar
MIR. Donaldson originally had es-
timated postal expenses for 1851
Mr.. Donaldson took immediate
action, to the CONSERVATION OF
some Congressmen up for re-elec-
tion this fall.
He issued his order Of April II
cutting residential deliveries from
two to one q day, reducing the
hours that some post offices are
open; reducing the handling OF
mail at night ESQ he wouldn't
have to pay so much premium
pay for night postal work. and
making other economies.
This order went out 80 prompt
" 1t gave plenty Of time for the
complaints. which every one knew
would b forthcoming, to arrive In
Congress while the Senate was
discussing the appropriation.