Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-28
President Seeks.
Support for New
Postal Money
By GARRETT d. HORNER


President Eisenhower started
a campaign for public support
for more money for the Post
once Department even as he
signed a bill appropriating S.
49,. 100000 for postal services in
the fiscal year starting July /.
The President announced that
he will ask Congress soon for
supplemental appropriations =
expected to total about $140 mil
lion-in order to "enable the
American people to continue to
receive the postal service to
which they are entitled"
In a statement announcing his
signature of the regular APP
preparation bill. the President
said it is clear that in view of
the rising volume of mail the
funds appropriated will be "in-
Sufficient unless postal services
are to be substantially curtailed
beginning July l."
Meets With Summerfield
His action came late yesterday,
soon after the President met with
Postmaster General Summerfield
and four civilian members Of the
Post Office Departments Advi-
sorry Board.
Mr.. Eisenhower approved pub
LEGATION Of letter to him by the
advisory board saying that the
Post Once Department will need
about $40 million more for the
new fiscal year unless it drastic
ally cuts mail services.
The committee suggested that
1t might be necessary for the
President ito call upon the
American people to express
themselves II they wish to save
the mail service as they know it."
White House Press Secretary
James C. Hagerty said Mr..
Eisenhower was taking the first
step in such call to the Amer
lean people" in approving pub
lication of the advisory boards
letter. He said the President
would wait to see If more action
was needed.
SIS Million Below Old Figure
The appropriation bill signed
by the President gave the Post
Once Department $50 million
less than it had had. And ON
top of this. Postmaster General
Summerf1eld said nearly 500
million more would be needed
than had been originally esti-
mated to enable the postal serv-
ice to handle vastly increasing
mail volume.
He said the supplemental APP
preparation, request probably
would be around $40 million.
He explained the figure will be
decided upon in the next few
days in consultation with the
Budget Bureau.
The advisory boards letter to
the President said that Congress
has cut the Post once budget
to the point where 1t win have
less money for operations next
year than it has for the current
fiscal year and yet it must deliver
approximately ga billion more
pieces of mail.
Unless Congress votes more
money by July /. the board said
the. Post Office Department will
have no alternative but to curtail
mail service by cutting out Sat-
urday deliveries. closing hun
dredS, possibly thousands Of post
offices around the country. arbi-
trarily reducing the volume and
possibly the types Of mail han
died, and cutting back modern
ization Of many obsolete facil-
tiles.
Public Appeal Urged.
I'VE believe the American peo-
pie will not be satisfied with
a part-time postal service" the
letter added.
The board members urged that
the "crisis" be called to the
attention of the American peo-
pie. Mr.. Hagerty said the Presi-
dent specifically approved this
suggestion.
The letter was signed by John
S. Coleman, president Of the
Burroughs Corp. Detroit. Mich;
James II. s. Ellis. president Of
the Kudner Agency, Inc. New
York: Richard J. Gray. president
Of the building and construction
trades department Of the ALL
CLIO; Jack r. Howard. president
Of Scripps Howard Newspapers.
New York; Rowland Jones. jr..
president Of the American Retail
Federation, and Charles M.
White. chairman Of the board of
the Republic Steel Corp.