The Daily Alaska empire., 1951-07-28

pace at which the Post Office is anything but funny
 Over the years in this column, have stated time and time again that the Post Office should be taken out of the hands of the Federal Government and turned to private ownership. Under prlvate lownership the service would be improved, wages of employees could be raised, Uncle Sam would collect taxes on profits made instead of having to make up annual deficits out of the general tax fund and stock lhoders would receive dividends All of these things could be accomplished without raising postage rates in fact there would be good prospects of lower rates as efficient private management got in its Ticks
 At this particular time when the Administration IS bending every energy to socialze other public utilities even some manufacturing industries, it is perhaps overly optimistic to hope that the Post Office can be rescued from government ownership But it is some thing to think about, against the day when reason will have been restored at Washington and the trend toward socialism this nation will have been stem med
 Just as long as the Post Office remains in govern ment hands, there is hope that is will ever attan maximum degree of efficiency. But there are some things that can be done to make it less Worse Let's consider a few of these.
 The Post Office is the one department of govern ment that can be made self-supporting. It has service to sell that is meered to the public, by which lnQlVQuaS ana COHlpdliCS pay III AeAo " N-N degree they use that service Therefore, the Post Office if it has desire to do so ascertain its costs of handling the various types of mailings This, as far as I can learn it has never done Of course, this is so simple that it is doubtful that the Post Office will ever undertake such cost accounting.
 Also despite camorings of Post Office officials to the contrary it is badly oversaffed realistic survey of Post Office manpower would reveal that 1t IS encumbered with thousands of employees who could be released to civilian pursuits This would cut operating expenses and bring the Post Office closer to being self-supporting unit,
 At present the various departments bureaus and agencies of Federal Government use the services or the Post Office for free" In drawing up their bud gets these units should make provision for postage expense They should pay at regular postage rates TOT every piece of ma.iiug they send out. There IS no reason why the unprofitably-o operated Post Ottlce should play Santa Claus to other units of government
 Also. our US Senators and Representatives frank all of their mail sent out on government buslness It is necessary for these legislators to the Post Office facilities but there is why the Post Office should tote their mail without charge Congress should appropriate an extra expense allowance for our legs lators to enable them to purchase their postage stamps even as you and l.
 To sum LID: the Post Office should not carry one single piece of mail anywhere, for anyone, without charge with the single exception of mailings incl dental to carrying the legitimate business ot the Post Office Further, piece of mail should be carried at a oss
 If these elementary things done the Post Office could be taken of the red and the mailing public would get the kind of =se1siae pays and to which it is entitled. But they won't be done unless you and keep everlastngy at our Con- eressmen to force a thorough house-cleaning and renovation of our defunct inefficient Post Office
 Meanwhile if left to it's own devices, the Post Office will continue to agtae for higher postage rates more employees, more equipment and more every thing and we will continue to get slower and slower deliveries of our mail
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