Evening star., 1952-05-04

Inc American people, POSC-
master General Jesse M. DON
aldson says, shave an unfortu-
nate habit. They are used to
good mail service. and they
don't want to give it up even
when they are unwilling to pay
for it.
"If," he said, you form a
habit of late collections and
then take them away, you're
bound to hear some howls."
Mr.. Donaldson has been hear
ing them. And it looks as if
he's going to hear more.
Here in Washington last week
o citizen writing to The Star
labeled the Postmaster Cen
erals enterprise "our snail-mail
service" Numerous other resi-
dents duplicated his complaint.
The local postmaster offered no
no very convincing answer, all
though insisting his service was
excellent"
The Capital. was not alone in
its complaints. All these were
being echoed in other cities
across the country. The echoes
were so loud, in fact, that it
appeared a major election issue
might develop out of the COM
mon protests.
Two Complaints
There are two basic COM
plants. The first is against Mr..
Donaldson's two-year-oId serv-
ice cutbacks. The second is a
charge of general ineficiency.
In April, 1850. the Postmaster
General slashed residential and
some business deliveries in half.
ended late evening collections.
ended most directory service
and reduced window service. He
blamed Congress; his budget
was cut. so he had to cut serv-
ice. he said.
Congress reasoning was UNDER
standable. The Post Office al
ways has deficit. This year
it will be more than $700 mil
lion. Congress wanted to reduce
it. Mr.. Donaldson said he saved
money.
The Postmaster General doesn't
deny the mail was slowed some-
what. Obviously it must lie in
boxes and carriers sorting cases
longer. He doesn't deny there
have been complaints. But he
insists he hasn't had many.
-(Most, of course. wouldn't go
beyond the local postmaster.)
More MoiI. Poor Help
On inef1ciency, Mr.. Donald
son doesn't deny there have
been complaints, too. But, he
says, there are reasons:
/. More mail. Now so bill
lion pieces a year-two and one
half times what it was IL years
ago.
2. Poor help. BY law. en-
ployes hired In the last two
years have not been able to OBJ
tain permanent status or retire.
ment benefits. Eighty-f1ve thou
sand of the 500. 900 employees are
now temporary. Congress is
now working on a bill to give
them permanent status again.
There is a human element"
he said. "Try as hard as you
may, clerks will make mistakes"
No. I Critic
Critics take a different view.
The 103 ,000-member National
Association of Letter Carriers
is one Of the severest. William
c. Doherty, president. says:
/. Carriers are overworked be-
cause Of longer routes. heavier
loads. harder hours. They've
become pack mules" he
charges.
2. Postal morale is at q 'low
ebb."
8. Service is "the worst in
history"
4. Curtailments have not
saved money. He cited a net
increase of over $500 carriers
since 1860.
The association wants COM
plete service restoration. 1t also
avowedly wants to see Mr.. Dom
aldSon replaced.
Some Service Restored
On April 2 in New York City
1900 carriers staged a protest
meeting against what the Post
ONCE called q test" elimina-
tion Of early morning collec-
tions. Two weeks later. Mr..
Donaldson ordered restoration