is currently 55 cents; canned salmon has reached a new mark of 69 cents; a 10-cent can of potted meat costing 18 cents only a few months ago, is 19 cents now; pork chops, in February of this year, were priced at 39 cents for end cuts and 55 cents for center cuts, and the same cuts are now 45 cents and 63 cents respectively; the lowly wiener has climbed from 49 cents to 55 cents in the last few months.

An off-brand can of green peas, costing 13 cents or two for 25 cents 4 months ago, for the 1 pound, 4 ounce can size, is now two cans for 27 cents and the can content has been reduced to 1 pound, 1 ounce. An increase in price and a reduction of one serving of food per can. Α brand of table salt, selling in 1947 for 5 cents, is now 8 cents or two for 15 cents. A widely used breakfast cereal, containing fruit, has advanced from 14 cents to 17 cents for the 10-ounce-size box; while beef neck bones, used for stew, have increased from 121⁄2 to 19 cents per pound. And on those beef neck bones-I think we will start frying them pretty soon if we do not get some results out of Congress.

Family clothing is a problem still harassing the housewife. While it is true that some new lower-priced merchandise has been placed on the market, which perhaps influences the "cost of living" reports. released, we know that it is false economy to make use of it. The material is shoddy, articles skimpy, garments inadequately sewn, and in no way comparable to the type of clothing that is steadily inching its way upward.

For an example of prices in boys' needs: A good quality of knitted shirt (polo style) selling 18 months ago for 98 cents, is $1.25 as of now. Heavy blue cotton pants (dungarees) were $1.59 in 1947; now they are $1.79. Shoes are no cheaper, and a boy will require from eight to twelve pairs of shoes per year. A teen-age girl will need from six to eight pairs of shoes a year, and like boys' footwear, there has been no reduction in prices. A trip to the department store is all that is necessary to convince us that the cost of the family's clothing is still a very potent item in the "battle of the budget."

Coal that sold for $8.50 per ton in the winter of 1947-48, advanced to $11 per ton during the 1948-49 heating season, for the common grade of the egg-size type. Rents are up. That is the end of that statement, but we don't believe it is the end of the upping in rents. Telephone rates have advanced 75 cents per month for a twoparty line, within the last year. In my home town, newspapers increased from $1.73 to $1.95 per month.

A well known and widely used hospitalization insurance, which was obtainable in 1947 for $2 per month for a two-person family is now $2.50 per month. City bus fares have doubled-5 cents in 1947, now 10 cents, or three tokens for a quarter. Gasoline, for those having any use for it, has increased 1 cent per gallon in the last year; it was 29% cents, now it is 30% cents. Cigarettes have advanced from $1.75 per carton to $1.88. As a sample of what is happening to prices of magazines: Newsweek was 10 cents, then 15 cents, now 20 cents.

When the majority of postal employees entered the service, it was with the intention of making a career of it. They had visions of advancing in their jobs, buying a home, rearing a family and perhaps owning a car to use for convenience and relaxation during leisure time, but these dreams have been dimmed by the harsh reality of conditions, imposed by unsettled living standards. Instead of leisure or relaxing time, they find it necessary to take on extra work outside

the post office in an effort to make ends meet because salaries are always lagging behind the "cost of living."

In too many instances, for the good of future generations, wives of employees are taking, full-time jobs to supplement the decreasing family purchasing power. Suffice to say, this sort of haphazard existence is not good. It only tends to stimulate the restlessness prevalent in the country today. When the father and mother must combine their energies to support the home and family, there can be no normal home life. Breaking down home life, that has so long been a tradition of the American way of life, is a very strong contributing factor in the beginning of juvenile delinquency, which is rated as a grave threat to the America of tomorrow, and which we are constantly being alerted against. A house where no one really lives where worry, uncertainty and unrest reigns, where children are left, for the most part, to shift for themselves, is truly a breeding place for child delinquency. A home where there is love, understanding, normal living, proper guidance, and freedom from hysteria, is the best safeguard of our American youth. We appeal to you to enable us to make better homes by approving the enactment of S. 558. Mr. Chairman, I would like to interject the thought here that the prices of adult needs are unquestionably on an upward trend with those of children. I also want to say education was a thing which was left out of the prepared script in an effort to make the statement as brief as possible, but certainly education is something that is very vital in the families of post office people. We learn by everyday experience that people without adequate education are at a loss and certainly not much for competitors in this world of ours.

So we feel that when we ask that our husbands make adequate salaries to educate our families, that that is not a luxury item because the children that are being reared today are the leaders of tomorrow and unless they have substantial education, it will be reflected in the citizenship of the future of this Nation.

I want to, if I may, Senator Long, call to your attention a remark which you made this morring in the other meeting room, when you asked one of the witnesses if it would not interfere with the morale attitude of a person if he had. to remain on the same job with no advancement or no increase in pay. Did I misunderstand you, Senator Long, or did you make such a statement?

Senator LONG. I imagine that the record will show that I made a statement to the effect that it might have a demoralizing effect on a person if he were to stay on the same job for many years at the same pay and with no increase in pay.

Mrs. Lowe. How would you feel if you were married to a man [laughter]

Senator LONG. Well

Mrs. LowE. That would be a good trick if you could do it. But supposing you were a woman-I will go back and start that again— and you were married to a man who was a post-office clerk. In 1925 he got an increase in pay, 5 years after you had married him. And then, that he showed no sign of advancement, by no hook or crook could he increase his pay roll, the amount of money he brought home to sustain the home, for 20 years-would you stay with him, do you think?

Senator LONG. Well, I am not qualified to answer that question. Mrs. Lowe. Well, Mr. Chairman, that is what happened to us.

But before 1945 we had our last pay increase in 1925, and that salary remained static for 20 years.

I am not surprised that Congress is disgusted when we come to you and say: "We cannot get by on the salaries our husbands bring home." I am not surprised at all that you are discouraged and disgusted; but that is what I mean when we are really talking about the price of living. For so many years now we have not been living. We have lagged so far behind it sometimes seems to me as though we can never catch up. With every increase in our pay, or salaries would not keep pace with the cost of living. So even though that might have been said in a jovial vein, it was said in all seriousness. You might naturally expect to think that a person would expect to advance, but it just hasn't worked like that in this post office set-up.

Of course we have had three increases in pay since 1945, but still each time it has not been commensurate with the cost of living, and each time the committees have been nice to us, but the Congress has cut us back to a level where it still was not sufficient.

So what we are still trying to do, and get you people to recommend for us now, is to help bring us to where we won't have to come back and see you year after year. If you would give us enough for the necessities of life and to educate our children, it would help us very much. I have just one little remark before I close.

The members of our organization favor S. 1772 and believe the provisions contained therein are justified. However, we feel that. section 4, which would grant a mere token increase of $150 per annum is entirely inadequate and suggest that this section be amended to include the provisions of S. 558.

Mr. Chairman, we appreciate the opportunity to appear before your committee and we are grateful for the courtesy and consideration extended.

Thank you.

Senator LONG. Thank you.

Senator Graham, have you any questions.

Senator GRAHAM. Yes. There have been some reports from the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the cost of living coming down a tiny bit. What is your explanation of your figures in connection with that reported slight decline. Your figures show a continuing upward climb.

Mrs. Lowe. That is true, because they were all taken within the past month, and on the items quoted, that has been the trend on those few items.

The only thing I can say in answer to your question is that it is a fact that since the end of the shooting war, commodities, especially in clothing, have appeared on the market that were of the inferior type that we talk about here.

Senator GRAHAM. The second question: Does that explain the number of pairs of shoes that a boy would wear out in a year?

Mrs. Lowe. No; that does not explain the number of pairs of shoes. I think the thing that would explain that is that boys of high-school age and just under have just too much energy, because they just keep going until they wear them out. And I might add in connection with that, that high-school boys' shoes will cost just as much as a grown man's; but they just get around faster and wear out faster.

Senator LONG. Have you any further questions, Senator Graham.

Senator GRAHAM. No.

Senator LONG. Thank you, Mrs. Lowe.

Mrs. LowE. Thank you.

Senator LONG. This committee is only going to have time to go into the statement of one more witness this afternoon. There is a quorum call pending and there will probably be a vote this afternoon on some legislation on the floor.

I notice we have about five more witnesses, most of them connected with the post office. I notice that Mr. Warfel, Mr. Castiglioni, Mr. Eldean, Mr. Bishop, and Mr. Maddock are all from various branches of the post office.

I wonder if you gentlemen would be willing to submit your statements for the record, with the assurance that we would read those statements you submit, when the time comes to consider them.

I would like, if possible, to close the hearings as soon as we can, so that we can have the record printed and consider these bills. Would that be all right with you, Mr. Manning?

Mr. MANNING. Well, Mr. Chairman, I would prefer, if it is agreeable with the chairman, to have a chance to read mine because I had intended to make some additional comments.

So I would like to read it some other day, if it would be all right for me to come back, Senator.

Senator LONG. Yes.

Mr. Warfel, what procedure would you like to follow?

Mr. WARFEL. I would be very glad to submit a statement for the report to the chairman.

(The report referred to reads as follows:)

STATEMENT BY GEORGE L. WARFEL, PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF SPECIAL DELIVERY MESSENGERS, ON S. 1772 AND S. 558 BEFORE THE SENATE POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE COMMITTEE

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is George L. Warfel, president of the National Association of Special Delivery Messengers, which organization is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and the Government Employees Council.

I am appearing on behalf of our membership to support the bills S. 1772 and S. 558. While S. 1772 does not include all of the benefits which we feel are both merited and desirable, yet we wholeheartedly endorse the bill in principle.

As you know, this bill provides for 26 days' annual and 15 days' sick leave to all postal employees, which would place them on the same basis for these benefits as other Federal employees, who have been receiving that amount of vacation and sick leave for a long period of time. Postal employees presently receive but 15 days annual and 10 days sick leave. The membership of our association deeply feels that there is no good reason why we should be discriminated against in this respect.

Under Public Law 134, Seventy-ninth Congress, the special-delivery messengers were not given the benefit of the faithful and meritorious service grades provided for the vast majority of postal employees, and we are therefore deeply appreciative of the thoughtfulness of the sponsors of this bill in seeking to provide the same benefits to those in our branch of the postal service. We also feel that full credit for all past services should be given in determing these longevity grades.

The elimination of the present four lower salary grades, as provided in this bill, and the automatic promotion of incumbents of those grades to grade 5, will provide a starting salary which will attract a high standard of employees into our service. There has been a hesitancy on the part of many who have qualified by competitive examination to accept appointment as substitute special delivery messengers because of the low entrance salaries. This is a very vital point with the special delivery service, since almost 40 percent of the present incumbents are temporary employees and the more quickly the ranks are filled with classified men, the better and more economical the service can be operated.

While we appreciate the thought of the sponsors of the bill in providing for a basic increase in salary of $150, we wish to point out to the committee that this $150 increase is entirely inadequate to make up the difference in income needed to bring our salaries up to the present high cost of living. The committee has already been furnished with complete and irrefutable statements with respect to this matter. Many special-delivery messengers report to me of having to seek parttime employment in addition to their postal duties in order to supplement their income sufficiently to provide necessities for their families. In addition, many of our men have had to cash in the Government bonds which they had purchased as a result of wartime earnings on the job. Therefore, we hope that the committee can favorably entertain the thought of amending this section of S. 1772 by increasing the basic salary increase of $150 provided therein to $650, as provided for in S. 558.

We hope that the committee will favorably report that section of S. 1772 providing for $100 annual allowance for the purchase of uniforms for all of those employees for whom uniforms are required in the postal service. The messengers

are required to provide their own uniforms at present, the cost of which is considerably in excess of $100 annually. We know of no other branch of the Government service where uniforms are not furnished where they are required. Therefore, this appears to us to be a very reasonable request.

We also endorse the elimination of the present efficiency rating system.

I wish to thank the committee for this privilege of appearing and making this statement, and trust that the committee will favorably report S. 1772 with the amendment suggested.

Senator LONG. Thank you, Mr. Warfel.
Now, Mr. Castiglioni?

Mr. CASTIGLIONI. I will submit a statement.
(The statement referred to reads as follows:)

STATEMENT OF PAUL M. CASTIGLIONI, LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE NATIONAL FEDERATION OF POST OFFICE MOTOR VEHICLE EMPLOYEES

Mr. Chairman and members of the committee, my name is Paul M. Castiglioni. I am the legislative representative of the National Federation of Post Office Motor Vehicle Employees, an organization composed entirely of employees of the post office motor vehicle service. At the very outset I want to compliment the members of this committee for holding these hearings and I want to thank you for the opportunity of appearing before you in behalf of the federation that I have the honor to represent. Gentlemen of the committee, I do not intend to take up a great deal of your time; in fact, my testimony will be rather brief; but I would appreciate about 1 minute of your time to tell you something about our branch of the service.

The motor vehicle service includes the fellows that you see on the streets of our cities, operating the larger type trucks which transport bulk mails between post offices and railroad depots, post offices and branch post offices, etc. These trucks operate day and night, and in every kind of weather. Ofttimes, especially during the winter months, when other transportation breaks down, these United States mail trucks continue to operate with a high degree of efficiency. I dare say that every member of this committee is somewhat familiar with the old equipment that for the most part our men are required to work with. Some of the trucks that we operate should have been relegated to the junk heap long ago. This condition is not the fault of either the Congress or the Post Office Department, it was brought about by the war when it was impossible to obtain new trucks. I am happy to say that this condition is rapidly being corrected by the Congress and our very able Postmaster General. However, the point that I want to bring out is the efficiency of the men that I represent. Most of our trucks are so old it is next to impossible to obtain parts to repair them; the manufacturers just don't make them any more. This has not in the least stopped our mechanics. They have searched the junk yards for parts, often on their own time, and have fashioned others themselves and in one way or another have kept these old trucks running. We are very proud of our service and we know that the Congress and the Postmaster General are too, for on several occasions they have referred to our mechanics as the miracle men of the postal service.

We wish to be recorded in favor of S. 558 because we feel the amount provided in this bill is entirely justifiable. While we don't seek to create the impression that our men or their families are starving, we do say that we believe the committee will