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Show Fifty Postal Bills Are Before Congress SUBMISSION to some general body, such as a congressional commission, of all projKisals affecting af-fecting Increases In salaries and rfionges In conditions of employment Involving Increases In pay for postal service workers was recommended by Postmaster General Harry S. New to Chairman Grist of the post office cym-nilttee cym-nilttee of the house In a letter made public. Sir. New pointed out thnt there are more thnn fifty postal bills now pending pend-ing In congress and It was probable a readjustment for the whole service along lines provided In the bills would Involve an Increase annually of $150,-000,000. $150,-000,000. In addition, he said, there are a number of bills proposing a reduction re-duction of postage rates. Certain classes of employees are not provided for In the bills, Mr. New said, and any readjustment of salaries must necessarily Include the whole postal establishment. Consideration of the proposals for Increases as wholly separate from the fiscal condition of the Post Office department de-partment seemed to him Impracticable and an Increased expenditure approaching ap-proaching that Involved would render one of two things Inevitable either to Increme the rates of postage or to meet It as other expenses are met, by draft on the general treasury. The postmaster general said the deficit for the present fiscal year la now estimated at $.'10,000,000. Suggestions Sugges-tions that the Increases could be met by a revision of postage rates, especially espe-cially upon fourtli-class (parcel post) matter, he asserted, were not based on reliable Information which would Justify Jus-tify them. A detailed cost ascertainment, data for which Is being checked, arraneed and tabulated, will be ready within with-in a few months, he said, adding that no readjustment of postage rates or fees for special services could be made Intelligently until this report had been concluded. Readjustment of salaries, he declared, de-clared, should not be made until It Is possible to determine their probable effect on postage rates. C. P. Fr nclscus, president of the United National Association of Post Otfice Clerks, declared In a statement that the clerks should not be disheartened disheart-ened over reports of opposition by 'resident Coolldge as well as Mr. New to salary Increases at this time. Postal saa:Ies need not lie paid from tax revenues, Mr. Franclscus Insisted In-sisted with reference to the President's Presi-dent's objections, but should be provided pro-vided through a revision of postnge rates, especially on parcel post matter, mat-ter, which, he asserted, are "absurdly low" as compared with express charges. |