MR. CHAIRMAN AND EMBERS OF THE SUBCOMMITTEE, I WISH TO THANK YOU FOR

GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR BEFORE YOU TODAY IN SUPPORT OF THE APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE HOUSE POST OFFICE.

AS IN THE PAST, OUR BUDGET REQUEST IS THE MINIMUM WHICH WE FEEL WE CAN OPERATE WITHIN AND STILL PROVIDE MEMBERS WITH THE VARIETY AND QUALITY OF SERVICES YOU NEED AND DESERVE.

THE TOTAL APPROPRIATION REQUESTED BY THE HOUSE POST OFFICE FOR THE 1980 FISCAL YEAR IS $1,284,700. THIS REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF $107,600 OVER LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. THE INCREASE IS PRIMARILY THE RESULT OF MANDATORY COST-OF-LIVING AND

LONGEVITY INCREASES.

DUE TO THE SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN MAIL VOLUME LAST YEAR, COMBINED WITH EXPANDED SERVICES TO HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING ANNEXES, IT WAS NECESSARY DURING 1078 TO REQUEST THE ADDITION OF FIVE EMPLOYEES.

AS YOU MAY RECALL, HOWEVER, THE FIVE-EMPLOYEE ADDITION WE MADE LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF MAIL HANDLERS SINCE I BECAME YOUR POSTMASTER IN 1972. FOR SIX YEARS, THE HOUSE POST OFFICE HAS STEADILY INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF MAIL PROCESSED - ESTIMATED TO HAVE TRIPLED IN VOLUME FROM 1972 TO

1979 WITHOUT ANY ADDITIONS TO STAFF. MORE SPECIFICALLY, THE VOLUME OF MAIL HAS INCREASED OVER 300% DURING THE PAST SIX YEARS, WHEREAS, THE 9% INCREASE IN PERSONNEL WHICH WAS REQUESTED LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT SUCH AN INCREASE WAS REQUIRED. IN ADDITION TO INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF MAIL PROCESSED BY EACH HOUSE

POST OFFICE EMPLOYEE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXPAND AND IMPROVE THE SERVICES OFFERED TO MEMBERS AND YOU CAN BE CERTAIN THAT I WILL CONTINUE TO SEEK WAYS TO PROVIDE EVEN MORE SERVICES TO YOU IN THE FUTURE.

AN EXAMPLE OF OUR MAIL HANDLERS EFFICIENCY WAS POINTED OUT BY THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE A FEW YEARS AGO. POSTAL SERVICE EMPLOYEES CAN PROCESS APPROXIMATELY 800 PIECES OF MAIL PER HOUR. HOUSE POST OFFICE

PLOYEES, HOWEVER, CAN PROCESS APPROXIMATELY 1200 FIECES OF AIL IN THE SAME TIME FRAME. THIS ADVANTAGE GIVES US GREATER MOBILITY WHEN IT COMES TO SORTING THE MAIL.

IN ORDER FOR YOU TO EVALUATE THE PERFORMANCE OF THE HOUSE POST OFFICE, WE HAVE COMPILED STATISTICS WHICH ARE SET FORTH IN SEVEN

TABLES.

TABLE #1 DEMONSTRATES THE INCREASES IN THE VOLUME OF MAIL BEING PROCESSED BY THE HOUSE POST OFFICE. THIS TABLE ALSO SHOWS THE NUMBER OF MAIL STOPS AS WELL AS THE NUMBER OF MAIL HANDLERS EMPLOYED. ONE ITEM I WISH TO POINT OUT IS THAT FROM 1970 TO 1980 WE HAVE ADDED 953 ADDITIONAL MAIL STOPS. AGAIN, THIS WAS DONE WITH THE ADDITION OF ONLY 5 EMPLOYEES LAST YEAR.

AS NOTED AT THE TOP OF TABLE #1, INCOMING MAIL VOLUME FIGURES ARE THOSE PREPARED BY THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE. THESE FIGURES REPRESENT ONLY THAT AMOUNT OF MAIL RECEIVED THROUGH REGULAR U.S. POSTAL SERVICE CHANNELS.

IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THESE FIGURES REPRESENT LESS THAN HALF OF THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MAIL ACTUALLY PROCESSED BY THE HOUSE POST OFFICE. IN ADDITION TO MAIL RECEIVED THROUGH THE U.S. POSTAL SERVICE, WE ALSO PROCESS MAIL DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO THE HOUSE POST OFFICE FROM PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS; VARIOUS STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS; BULK DELIVERED NEWSPAPERS' "DEAR COLLEAGUE" LETTERS; INSIDE MAIL; DAILY LEGISLATIVE CALENDARS AND CONGRESSIONAL RECORDS; AREA AND CONGRESSIONAL TELEPHONE BOOKS; LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AND WHITE HOUSE MAILINGS; PLUS OTHER SPECIAL MAILINGS REQUESTED BY THE MEMBERS. IN TOTAL, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT THE HOUSE POST OFFICE

DELIVERED IN EXCESS OF 100 MILLION PIECES OF MAIL THIS PAST YEAR.

TO FURTHER EXPLAIN HOW WE ARRIVED AT THESE FIGURES, I WILL PROVIDE AN EXAMPLE OF THE MAIL WE HANDLED FOR THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS IN 1976 THAT DID NOT GO THROUGH REGULAR POST OFFICE CHANNELS. IN A LETTER TO ME IN 1977, GILBERT GUDE THE DIRECTOR OF THE CONGRESSIONAL RESEARCH SERVICE ESTIMATED THAT THE HOUSE POST OFFICE DELIVERED 93,000 PIECES OF MAIL FOR CRS. SINCE THAT TIME I HAVE ESTABLISHED A DIRECT MAIL SERVICE WITH THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, AND OUR ESTIMATES INDICTATE THAT THE AMOUNT OF MAIL NOW BEING HANDLED BY THE HOUSE POST OFFICE FOR THE LIBRARY HAS MORE THAN DOUBLED.

TABLE #2 IS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH INFORMATION CONCERNING SERVICES CURRENTLY OFFERED BY THE HOUSE POST OFFICE WHICH HAVE BEEN ADDED SINCE I BECAME POSTMASTER IN 1972. THESE SERVICES ARE LISTED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH THEY WERE INSTITUTED, AND A SHORT EXPLANATION OF THE SERVICE OFFERED.

EARLY IN 1979 I INITIATED THE USE OF A RADIATION SCAN IN ADDITION TO THE X-RAY SCANNER ALREADY IN OPERATION. WITH THIS NEW SCANNING EQUIPMENT, THE HOUSE POST OFFICE NOW CAREFULLY CHECKS THE MAIL FOR THE EXISTENCE OF ANY RADIOACTIVE MATERIALS.

WE HAVE ALSO MADE PREPARATIONS FOR FULL COUNTER SERVICE FOR HOUSE ANNEX #2. THIS SERVICE SHOULD BE IN FULL SWING BY MID-MARCH. WE WILL OFFER A FACILITY FOR ANNEX #2 OFFICES FOR THE PURCHASE OF POSTAGE STAMPS, MAILING PACKAGES, PURCHASING MONEY ORDERS, SENDING REGISTERED AND CERTIFIED MAIL, AND NOTARY SERVICES.

AT THE PRESENT, THE HOUSE POST OFFICE EMPLOYS 98 PERSONS

IN FULL TIME POSITIONS. OF THESE, THREE HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES; 12 PROVIDE STAMP COUNTER SERVICES, 8 OPERATE THE X-RAY SECURITY SYSTEM AND 75 ARE INVOLVED IN MAIL PROCESSING.