Hon. KENNETH MCKELLAR, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT, SECOND ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL, United States Senate. MY DEAR SENATOR MCKELLAR: During the hearings before the Senate Appropriations Committee on the 25th instant, you requested that you be furnished with certain information concerning consolidations in the Rural Delivery Service. Among other things, you requested that the Department give you a list of all of the consolidations made during the last 2 years, showing the length of the routes prior to consolidation and the salary of the carriers prior to the consolidation and the same information after the consolidations had been effected. I find that it would be almost an endless task to furnish you this specific information in connection with each consolidation made during the past 2 years. It would be necessary to make a search through the entire files of more than 34,000 rural routes, which would require so much time that this information could not be furnished in time to be of any great benefit to you at this time. However, I am transmitting herewith a list containing the information you desire in 27 separate cases, which are typical of all consolidations made. This list shows the name of the office involved, the length of the routes and the salaries of the carriers before consolidation and the length of the routes and salaries of the carriers after consolidation. For instance, in the first case listed you will note that it involves a consolidation made at Frankford, Del., where the consolidation resulted in reducing the number of routes emanating from that office from four to three. Route no. 1, which was 28.7 miles in length, was discontinued and this mileage was added to routes no. 2, no. 3, and no. 4. The salaries given include the maintenance allowance of 5 cents per mile per day and you will note that the carrier on route no. 2 received $2,123.10 per annum, including salary and maintenance allowance, before consolidation as against $2,647.30 per annum after consolidation. You will further note that the combined salaries of the four carriers, including maintenance allowance, prior to consolidation was $9,278.40, while the combined salaries, including maintenance allowance, after consolidation is $8,022.50. This consolidation resulted in an annual saving of $1,255.90. The annual salary, not including the maintenance allowance of the carriers after consolidation is as follows: Route no. 2, $2,020; route no. 3, $1,880; and route no. 4, $2,200. As stated before, the cost shown in this list in each instance includes the salary of the carrier and the maintenance allowance. Following each case a statement is made as to what the inspector reported concerning road conditions and the schedule of the carriers is also shown. There is also transmitted herewith a list of 22 offices where vacancies occurred in the Rural Delivery Service and where investigations were made by post-office inspectors as to the feasibility of effecting a consolidation to take up the vacancies. In each of these cases the inspectors submitted adverse reports, that is, they recommended against consolidations. This is only a partial list of cases where inspectors submitted adverse reports but contains the cases which were readily available. I am also attaching a list of 25 offices where vacancies occurred and investigations were made by post-office inspectors for the purpose of determining the feasibility of making consolidations to take up these vacancies. In each of these cases the inspectors stated that consolidations were feasible but the consolidations were not authorized by the Department for various reasons. There is also transmitted herewith a list showing the appointments of rural carriers, to fill vacancies, the appointments having been made during the period July 1, 1934, to June 30, 1935. This is shown by States and the total appointments made during that period was 166. A similar list is attached showing the appointments made from July 1, 1935, to February 27, 1936. Two hundred and forty-seven appointments were made during this period. In addition to appointments already made this year, examinations have been scheduled for the purpose of establishing eligible registers in 44 additional cases and there is transmitted herewith a list showing the State and office involved in those cases. In order to furnish you with the particulars concerning each and every consolidation made during the past 2 years it would be necessary to assign a great many clerks to this particular function and it would require many days to compile all of this information. I am therefore hopeful that the information given you in the 27 cases listed will suffice at this time but will be very glad to compile and furnish any additional information you may request. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used approximately 12 months. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1 and 2 to leave at 7:50 a. m. and 8 a. m., respectively, and return by 12 noon, and for the carrier on route 3 to leave at 12: 30 p. m. and return by 3:30 p. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used the entire year. The schedule requires the carrier on route 1, Altona to leave at 7:30 a. m. and return by 12: 30 p. m., and the carriers on routes 1 and 2, Victoria to leave at 7:30 a. m. and return by 1:30 p. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used the entire year. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1, 2, 3, and 4, Champaign to leave at 8 a. m. and return by 11:45 a. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used the entire year. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1 and 2, Connersville to leave at 8:15 a. m. and return by 1:30 p. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used the entire year. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1, 2, and 3, Alexandria, to leave at 9 a. m. and return by 2 p. m.; carrier on route no. 1, Frankton, to leave at 8 a. m. and return by 1:30 p. m.; carriers on routes 8 and 9, Anderson, to leave at 8:30 a. m. and return by 2 p. m.; carrier on route no. 1, Lapel, to leave at 8:30 a. m. and return by 11:30 a. m.; carriers on routes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, Elwood, to leave at 8:30 a. m. and return by 2 p. m.; and the carriers on routes 1, 2, and 3, Pendleton, to leave at 9 a. m. and return by 2 p. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used from 10 to 12 months. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1, 2, 4, and 9, Bloomfield, to leave at 7:45 a. m. and return by 12:45 p. m.; carrier on route no. 3, Floris, to leave at 9 a. m. and return by 1: 15 p. m. by auto, and carrier on route no. 1, Pulaski, to leave at 8:45 a. m. and return by 1 p. m. by auto. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used all year. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1, 2, and 3 to leave at 8 a. m. and return by 12:30 p. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used the entire year. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1 and 2 to leave at 8:30 a, m. and return by 2 p. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used the entire year. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1, 2, and 3 to leave at 9:30 a. m. and return by 3 p. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used all year. The schedule requires the carriers on routes 1, 2, and 3 to leave at 9:15 a. m. and return by 1 p. m. Inspector reports that all roads are passable at all seasons of the year. Automobiles are used all year. The schedule requires the carrier on route no. 1 to leave at 8:15 a. m. and return by 2:30 p. m.; carrier on route 2 to leave at 8:15 a. m. and return by 2 p. m; and carrier on route 3 to leave at 8:15 a. m. and return by 1 p. m. |