POST OFFICE APPROPRIATION BILL, 1923 HEARINGS AN ACT MAKING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE SERVICE OF THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT FOR THE FISCAL POST OFFICE APPROPRIATION BILL, 1923. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 23, 1922. UNITED STATES SENATE, SUBCOMMITTEE ON POST OFFICES AND POST ROADS, Washington, D. C. The subcommittee met at 10.30 o'clock a. m., pursuant to adjournment, in its hearing room in the Capitol, Senator Charles E. Townsend presiding. Present: Senators Townsend (chairman), Sterling, Moses, Oddie, McKellar, Walsh, and Stanfield. Also present: Postmaster General Will H. Hays; Executive Secretary George W. Perkins; Fourth, Assistant Postmaster General Harry H. Billany; Superintendent Division of Railway Adjustnents William E. Triem; General Superintendent of Railway Mail Service Walter H. Riddell; assistant chief clerk, Post Office Department, Thomas J. Howells; and special assistant to the Attorney General for the Post Office Department Joseph Stewart. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Stewart, you have some additional matter that you want to present to the committee? Mr. STEWART. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. Very well, we will hear you. STATEMENT OF MR. JOSEPH STEWART, SPECIAL ASSISTANT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, FOR THE POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT. Mr. STEWART. I will first mention the items that we want a consideration of this morning, and then I have with me some officers of the department who will present the reasons for some of them, and I will present the reasons for the others. There is one item which would be included, if allowed, on page 14 of the committee print, under the office of the Postmaster General, and is an additional and new item for rent of buildings. The assistant chief clerk, who is here, will give you the information upon that. Senator STERLING. Page 14 of the committee print? Mr. STEWART. Page 14 of the committee print. It will come right in here [indicating]. It is a new item. Senator STERLING. I see; yes. Mr. STEWART. That is the logical place for it. Mr. STEWART. I was suggesting that. Then, there is another item in the field service, on page 22. We would suggest The CHAIRMAN_(interposing). That is another new item? Mr. STEWART. That is another new item, and may be inserted between the first and the second on that page. That is an item for the payment of rewards. The assistant chief clerk is here, and he will give you the reasons for that. Then, on page 45, in the field service, you will find the item for mail messenger service. I wish to present additional data and reasons for an increase in that appropriation, but not beyond what has been recommended by the Budget Committee. Senator STERLING. That is for mail messenger service? Mr. STEWART. Mail messenger service. On page 46 you will find an item for inland transportation by railroad routes. I want to present data and reasons for increasing the amount allowed by the House. The CHAIRMAN. Will that be in excess of what the Budget recommends? Mr. STEWART. It will not be. It will be below what the Budget recommended. On page 48 you will find the item for Railway Mail Service, salaries. The superintendent of Railway Mail Service, Mr. Riddell, is here and will give you the reasons for that. Senator STERLING. It runs over to page 49. Mr. STEWART. Yes. We desire to present reasons for an increase over the amount allowed by the House. Senator STERLING. Railway Mail Service? Mr. STEWART. Railway Mail Service, salaries. The general superintendent will give you the reasons for the requested increase. On page 49 you will find the item for travel allowances to railway postal clerks and substitute railway postal clerks. The general superintendent will give you the reason why that should be increased. Those are the items which we desire to call to your attention this morning. Mr. Howell, the assistant chief clerk, is here to speak for the first two. The CHAIRMAN. All right, Mr. Howell, we will hear from you. STATEMENT OF MR. THOMAS J. HOWELL, ASSISTANT CHIEF CLERK, POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT. RENTAL OF BUILDINGS FOR USE OF DIVISION OF EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES. Mr. HOWELL. We are asking for an appropriation for rent of suitable buildings in the District of Columbia for the use of the Post Office Department, including the Division of Equipment and Supplies, not exceeding $35,000; gas, electric power and light, fuel, and for the expense of removal of such divisions, offices, or parts of divisions and offices of the Post Office Department as the Postmaster General shall direct to and from the several Government-owned and rented buildings occupied by the Post Office Department in the District of Columbia, $52,000, or so much thereof as may be neces sary. We put a restriction in there which provides that we can not pay more than $35,000 for rent. I will make a brief general statement. The CHAIRMAN. This is a new item that you are talking about? Mr. HOWELL. This is a new item that I am talking about, a supplemental appropriation that has been approved by the Budget officer. Senator STERLING. $35,000 and $52,000? Mr. HOWELL. The total appropriation is $52,000. Mr. HOWELL. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. What page did you say that was, 12? Mr. HOWELL. Page 14. Senator STERLING. The first is for how much? Mr. HOWELL. Senate document No. 127 covers that item, submitted by the Budget officer. I will make a general statement, gentlemen, and then answer any questions that you might desire to ask. The new city post-office building was completed and occupied in 1914 by the Washington city post office, several branches of the field service and the department proper. Since that time the business of the Washington city post office has increased 104 per cent. When the building was originally constructed it was designed to take care of the business of the Washington city post office for 10 years to come, but that office has already outgrown its quarters and it is now utilizing space originally assigned to and intended for the use of the department proper. In view of the increasing growth of the Washington city post office, the department is being constantly importuned to relinquish space now occupied by the Division of Equipment and Supplies, which is charged with the custody, transportation, and distribution of equipment and supplies used throughout the entire Postal Service The CHAIRMAN (interposing). Is that a new post-office building? Mr. HOWELL. Yes, sir; the new city post-office building. And it is not only impossible for that division to relinquish any of the present space but, on the contrary, the necessities of the service require that additional space be provided for it in order to properly house and care for the supplies. The above appropriation, if granted, will enable the department to rent the two buildings formerly occupied by it at First and K Streets NE, and to move the Division of Equipment and Supplies from the new city post-office building to these buildings. Both of these buildings are located alongside of the railroad track, near railroad facilities, and are in close proximity to the city post-office building, thus obviating the necessity for excessive truckage. The larger building contains eight stories and a basement and is admirably suited for the storage of supplies, having a floor weight capacity of 250 pounds to the square foot. The smaller building contains three stories, immediately adjacent thereto, and will make suitable quarters for the office force. If Congress grants this appropriation to the department we will be able to transfer the railway terminal post office, now employing 61 regular employees and 46 auxiliary employees on three shifts, |