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    "title": "Ford Press Releases - Post Office, 1967-1973",
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    "ocrText": "The original documents are located in Box D8, folder \"Ford Press Releases - Post Office,\n1967-1973\" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the\nGerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nCopyright Notice\nThe copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of\nphotocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United\nStates of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.\nWorks prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public\ndomain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to\nremain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid\ncopyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.\nDigitized from Box D8 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library\n8 March 1967\n####\nHIME\nU. S. HOUSE\nOF REPRESENTATIVES\nREPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE\nREP. JOHN J. RHODES, (R.-ARIZ.) CHAIRMAN\n140 CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING\nTELEPHONE 225-6168\n185132109\n10\nREPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS LEGISLATION TO\nPROHIBIT POLITICAL INFLUENCE IN THE POSTAL SERVICE\nIn order to have a first-class postal system, the Post Office\nDepartment must be divorced from politics. We urge the immediate consideration of\nlegislation introduced by Republican Members that would eliminate political favori-\ntism and insure the recognition and promotion of able and experienced career postal\nemployees.\nThe United States Post Office Department is one of the world's\nbiggest businesses. It employs more than 700,000 employees and handles over 75.6\nbillion pieces of mail each year.\nAlthough this Department has an annual operating budget in excess\nof $6.5 billion a year, and thousands and thousands of dedicated, conscientious\nemployees, it has not furnished the type of mail service that this country needs\nand demands. Moreover, the ever increasing number of complaints, misdeliveries,\nnondeliveries, delays and backups are a clear warning that even more serious trouble\nlies ahead unless corrective steps are taken.\nThe American people will not get the type of postal service they\ndeserve, and the many problems within the service will not be corrected, until there\nis a fundamental change in the manner in which the Department is operated. As long\nas this Department remains a politically-dominated agency where appointments and\nall promotions from postmaster to carrier, are based on political favoritism rather\nthan merit, postal experience and good management procedures, a first-class postal\nsystem cannot be developed and maintained.\nRALD FORD FIBRARY\n(over)\n8\nPostal employees should not be placed in a position where obtaining\na job or their future in the postal service is determined by the size or regularity\nof their political contributions.\nThe more modern European systems are operated strictly on a pro-\nfessional business basis. They have recognized that in order to give quality\nservice, the operation of these departments must be divorced from politics. This\nis in contrast to our own system wherein postmasters of even the largest cities\noperating post offices doing many millions of dollars of business a year and employ-\ning many thousands of employees, need two paremount inications - they must\nbelong to the right political party and they must curry favor with the right pol-\niticians. to эло sdT\n8.85 Certainly, every employee coming into the postal service should have\nthe opportunity to rise up through the ranks and attain a top supervisory position.\nThis is not the case today and it may never be the case unless appropriate legisla-\ntion is enacted into law. b 10 abaseborts bris B votifid 8.08 10\naboun cade the to and bedelment Joa and at assyolame\nto Tédation 19V9 , 19VOSTOM .abramob bre\nevoluse novo Isolo & DJB equiped birth eyelob\nmades DTB agade sesino bsods soll\nyears selvice Intern 10 only Jos don't Hilv olgooq mestionA odT\nItimu ad Job Illv delvice ods aldriv emaldorq years add bree\nDA .bodezoqo at ords daking nt тэлпат odd ni ognerio 0 et\nbas yanuga B entemat insuranced elds BB\nmaillvoval Institing no boend 915 03 Todesmisoq mor} enotromorq He\nB boog bas constraque Injuoq neda\n.bonlejntsm bre begoleveb od tongao medays\n(zove)\n8 March 1967\nIIIII\nIIIIIII.\nU.S. HOUSE\nOF REPRESENTATIVES\nREPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE\nREP. JOHN J. RHODES, (R.-ARIZ.) CHAIRMAN\n140 CANNON HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING\nTELEPHONE 225-6168\nDOIICIEST\n10\nREPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS LEGISLATION TO\nPROHIBIT POLITICAL INFLUENCE IN THE POSTAL SERVICE\nIn order to have a first-class postal system, the Post Office\nDepartment must be divorced from politics. We urge the immediate consideration of\nlegislation introduced by Republican Members that would eliminate political favori-\ntism and insure the recognition and promotion of able and experienced career postal\nemployees.\nThe United States Post Office Department is one of the world's\nbiggest businesses. It employs more than 700,000 employees and handles over 75.6\nbillion pieces of mail each year.\nAlthough this Department has an annual operating budget in excess\nof $6.5 billion a year, and thousands and thousands of dedicated, conscientious\nemployees, it has not furnished the type of mail service that this country needs\nand demands. Moreover, the ever increasing number of complaints, misdeliveries,\nnondeliveries, delays and backups are a clear warning that even more serious trouble\nlies ahead unless corrective steps are taken.\nThe American people will not get the type of postal service they\ndeserve, and the many problems within the service will not be corrected, until there\nis a fundamental change in the manner in which the Department is operated. As long\nas this Department remains a politically-dominated agency where appointments and\nall promotions from postmaster to carrier, are based on political favoritism rather\nthan merit, postal experience and good management procedures, a first-class postal\nsystem cannot be developed and maintained.\n(over) LALD FORD VIBRARY\nPostal employees should not be placed in a position where obtaining\na job or their future in the postal service is determined by the size or regularity\nof their political contributions.\nThe more modern European systems are operated strictly on a pro-\nfessional business basis. They have recognized that in order to give quality\nservice, the operation of these departments must be divorced from politics. This\nis in contrast to our own system wherein postmasters of even the largest cities\noperating post offices doing many millions of dollars of business a year and employ-\ning many thousands of employees, need two paramount qualifications - they must\nbelong to the right political party and they must curry favor with the right pol-\niticians.\nCertainly, every employee coming into the postal service should have\nthe opportunity to rise up through the ranks and attain a top supervisory position.\nThis is not the case today and it may never be the case unless appropriate legisla-\ntion is enacted into law.\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nFebruary 25, 1969\nStatement by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, Republican Leader, U. S. House of Representatives\nI have long personally advocated making advancement in the postal system\na matter of merit and opening the top job in each Post Office to career employes\non that basis.\nFor that and other reasons I wholeheartedly support President Nixon's\nlegislative proposals aimed at taking politics out of the Post Office Department.\nDelivery of the mail is a government service which touches the lives of\nall Americans. It is a service which must be improved or it will break down under\nthe steadily increasing weight of demands placed upon it.\nEnactment of the President's recommendations for reform of the postal\nsystem will benefit the Nation. That is the clearest indication of their merit.\nIn addition, conditions in the Post Office Department place a mark of greatest\nurgency on the actions proposed by the President.\nI urge that the Congress approve the President's proposals as soon as\npossible after thorough examination of the legislation required to implement them.\n#####\nOffice Cabu\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nFebruary 25, 1969\nStatement by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, Republican Leader, U. S. House of Representatives\nI have long personally advocated making advancement in the postal system\na matter of merit and opening the top job in each Post Office to career employes\non that basis.\nFor that and other reasons I wholeheartedly support President Nixon's\nlegislative proposals aimed at taking politics out of the Post Office Department.\nDelivery of the mail is a government service which touches the lives of\nall Americans. It is a service which must be improved or it will break down under\nthe steadily increasing weight of demands placed upon it.\nEnactment of the President's recommendations for reform of the postal\nsystem will benefit the Nation. That is the clearest indication of their merit.\nIn addition, conditions in the Post Office Department place a mark of greatest\nurgency on the actions proposed by the President.\nI urge that the Congress approve the President's proposals as soon as\npossible after thorough examination of the legislation required to implement them.\n#####\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nMay 27, 1969\nRemarks by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., Republican Leader, U.S. House of Reps.\non the floor of the House, Tuesday, May 27, 1969.\nMr. Speaker: It is often true that what we need the most for our own\nwell-being we assiduously avoid. There is little question in my mind that com-\nplete re-direction of our postal system is, as President Nixon today has told us,\n\"absolutely essential.\"\nThere is also little question in my mind that if the sweeping reforms\nproposed by the President are to become reality, it will only be because postal\nemployes finally recognize that the proposed new United States Postal Service is\nin their own self-interest.\nMr. Speaker, the American people want a thorough-going change in the\noperations of the Post Office Department. They want improved, efficient, fast\nmail delivery. The taxpayers want postal reform. They are sick of subsidizing\nthe Post Office Department to the tune of nearly a billion dollars a year. I\ndon't think anyone will have to sell the President's proposed new Postal Service\nto the people.\nBut the President and all others who recognize the imperative need for\nputting delivery of the mail on a business basis will have to do a selling job on\npostal employes and the Congress.\nMr. Speaker, I believe the proposed creation of a government corporation to\nrun the United States Postal Service is an idea whose time has come. This is not\na partisan political issue. Former Postmaster General Lawrence O'Brien strongly\nsupports the new concept for an improved mail service.\nIts time has come because all of the facts show postal reform to be in the\nenlightened self-interest of all of the American people, including our 750,000\npostal employes.\nRegrettably I understand that representatives of postal employes have vowed\nto fight the proposal for a Postal Service Corporation down to the last mail bag.\nIt is my guess that their views will change when they see what it will mean in\nterms of their own self-interest.\nWhatever the significance for other federal employes, the fact remains that\npostal workers under the President's reform plan will be able to engage in true\ncollective bargaining for the first time. In addition, the plan calls for binding\narbitration of stalemated disputes.\nAs President Nixon expressed it, \"The postal worker will finally take his\nrightful place beside the worker in private industry.\"\nMr. Speaker, the Congress must take every vestige of politics out of our\npostal system. Postal reform deserves the support of every member of Congress,\nregardless of party.\n# # #\nOffice Copy\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nMay 27, 1969\nRemarks by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., Republican Leader, U.S. House of Reps.\non the floor of the House, Tuesday, May 27, 1969.\nMr. Speaker: It is often true that what we need the most for our own\nwell-being we assiduously avoid. There is little question in my mind that com-\nplete re-direction of our postal system is, as President Nixon today has told us,\n\"absolutely essential.\"\nThere is also Tittle question in my mind that if the sweeping reforms\nproposed by the President are to become reality, it will only be because postal\nemployes finally recognize that the proposed new United States Postal Service is\nin their own self-interest.\nMr. Speaker, the American people want a thorough-going change in the\noperations of the Post Office Department. They want improved, efficient, fast\nmail delivery. The taxpayers want postal reform. They are sick of subsidizing\nthe Post Office Department to the tune of nearly a billion dollars a year. I\ndon't think anyone will have to sell the President's proposed new Postal Service\nto the people.\nBut the President and all others who recognize the imperative need for\nputting delivery of the mail on a business basis will have to do a selling job on\npostal employes and the Congress.\nMr. Speaker, I believe the proposed creation of a government corporation to\nrun the United States Postal Service is an idea whose time has come. This is not\na partisan political issue. Former Postmaster General Lawrence O'Brien strongly\nsupports the new concept for an improved mail service.\nIts time has come because all of the facts show postal reform to be in the\nenlightened self-interest of all of the American people, including our 750,000\npostal employes.\nRegrettably I understand that representatives of postal employes have vowed\nto fight the proposal for a Postal Service Corporation down to the last mail bag.\nIt is my guess that their views will change when they see what it will mean in\nterms of their own self-interest.\nWhatever the significance for other federal employes, the fact remains that\npostal workers under the President's reform plan will be able to engage in true\ncollective bargaining for the first time. In addition, the plan calls for binding\narbitration of stalemated disputes.\nAs President Nixon expressed it, \"The postal worker will finally take his\nrightful place beside the worker in private industry.\"\nMr. Speaker, the Congress must take every vestige of politics out of our\npostal system. Postal reform deserves the support of every member of Congress,\nregardless of party.\n#\nDistribuction Full\nOffice Copy\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nMarch 19, 1970\nRemarks by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., Republican Leader, U. S. House of\nRepresentatives, placed in the Congressional Record of Thursday, March 19, 1970.\nBoth President Nixon and Postmaster General Blount have expressed their\ngreat concern over the postal strike in the New York City area.\nWhile it is impossible for the Administration to endorse this strike -- a\nstrike which is illegal under existing law -- both the President and the Postmaster\nGeneral agree that working conditions and rates of pay for postal workers must be\nimproved.\nThe President expressed to me his hope that the striking employees would\nreturn to their jobs.\nThe mail is the life blood of our economy. This strike means a delay in\nthe delivery of millions of welfare, social security and pension retirement checks\nin the New York area. It means the interruption of vital business service. It\nmeans a delay in the delivery of life sustaining medicines to the critically ill.\nThe President further expressed his concern over the refusal of the\nstrikers to obey the Federal Court injunction issued yesterday ordering the\nstriking employees back to work.\nThe postal strike is illegal under existing law and the failure to obey\nthe Federal injunction places the strikers in contempt of court.\nThe Congress has, I think, demonstrated its interest in improving working\nand wage conditions for postal employees. Last week the House Post Office and\nCivil Service Committee, in an unprecedented bipartisan move, reported to the\nHouse floor a postal reform-salary adjustment act which will provide collective\nbargaining rights for postal employees for the first time.\nUnder this measure, postal employees can bargain with postal management\nover their grievances with the added provision that points of contention which\ncannot be settled at the bargaining table can go to binding artibration.\nIt means that the striking employees in New York could, through their\nnational leadership, bargain over the points of contention which precipitated\nthis strike.\n(more)\n-2-\nThe same legislation contains a 5.4 per cent wage increase for most\npostal employees retroactive to January 1, 1970. While this does not meet the\ncurrent demands of the striking New York employees, it is a step in the direction\nof an upward adjustment in postal salaries.\nThe President has further expressed his support for additional postal pay\nincreases above the 5.4 per cent -- and also a raise for other Federal employees.\nBut he has asked that these increases be withheld until next year.\n###\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nMarch 19, 1970\nRemarks by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., Republican Leader, U. S. House of\nRepresentatives, placed in the Congressional Record of Thursday, March 19, 1970.\nBoth President Nixon and Postmaster General Blount have expressed their\ngreat concern over the postal strike in the New York City area.\nWhile it is impossible for the Administration to endorse this strike -- a\nstrike which is illegal under existing law -- both the President and the Postmaster\nGeneral agree that working conditions and rates of pay for postal workers must be\nimproved.\nThe President expressed to me his hope that the striking employees would\nreturn to their jobs.\nThe mail is the life blood of our economy. This strike means a delay in\nthe delivery of millions of welfare, social security and pension retirement checks\nin the New York area. It means the interruption of vital business service. It\nmeans a delay in the delivery of life sustaining medicines to the critically ill.\nThe President further expressed his concern over the refusal of the\nstrikers to obey the Federal Court injunction issued yesterday ordering the\nstriking employees back to work.\nThe postal strike is illegal under existing law and the failure to obey\nthe Federal injunction places the strikers in contempt of court.\nThe Congress has, I think, demonstrated its interest in improving working\nand wage conditions for postal employees. Last week the House Post Office and\nCivil Service Committee, in an unprecedented bipartisan move, reported to the\nHouse floor a postal reform-salary adjustment act which will provide collective\nbargaining rights for postal employees for the first time.\nUnder this measure, postal employees can bargain with postal management\nover their grievances with the added provision that points of contention which\ncannot be settled at the bargaining table can go to binding artibration.\nIt means that the striking employees in New York could, through their\nnational leadership, bargain over the points of contention which precipitated\nthis strike.\n(more)\n-2-\nThe same legislation contains a 5.4 per cent wage increase for most\npostal employees retroactive to January 1, 1970. While this does not meet the\ncurrent demands of the striking New York employees, it is a step in the direction\nof an upward adjustment in postal salaries.\nThe President has further expressed his support for additional postal pay\nincreases above the 5.4 per cent -- and also a raise for other Federal employees.\nBut he has asked that these increases be withheld until next year.\n###\nDistribution Full\na Office Copy\nNEWS\nCONGRESSMAN\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nMarch 23, 1970\nStatement by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., Republican Leader, U.S. House of Reps.\nPresident Nixon is to be applauded for confining his callup of the military\nto postal duty to New York alone. He took the most constructive action available\nto him in this time of domestic crisis. His appeal to the strikers was low-keyed\nand yet eloquent. It was the voice of reason. I hope the strikers will heed it.\nI would at this time also compliment Letter Carriers National President James\nRademacher for urging the strikers to return to their jobs.\nIt should also be noted that H. R. 4, the pay increase and postal reform\nbill which probably would have avoided this entire situation, was held in the\nHouse Post Office and Civil Service Committee for too long a time. That was a\ntragic delay. When the committee did report out the bill on March 12, it was not\nbrought quickly to the House floor for affirmative action. The postal walkout\nstarted on March 18. I urge that H. R. 4 be moved through the House as soon as\nthe strikers return to work.\n###\nNEWS\nCONGRESSMAN\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\nFOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-\nMarch 23, 1970\nStatement by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, R-Mich., Republican Leader, U.S. House of Reps.\nPresident Nixon is to be applauded for confining his callup of the military\nto postal duty to New York alone. He took the most constructive action available\nto him in this time of domestic crisis. His appeal to the strikers was low-keyed\nand yet eloquent. It was the voice of reason. I hope the strikers will heed it.\nI would at this time also compliment Letter Carriers National President James\nRademacher for urging the strikers to return to their jobs.\nIt should also be noted that H. R. 4, the pay increase and postal reform\nbill which probably would have avoided this entire situation, was held in the\nHouse Post Office and Civil Service Committee for too long a time. That was a\ntragic delay. When the committee did report out the bill on March 12, it was not\nbrought quickly to the House floor for affirmative action. The postal walkout\nstarted on March 18. I urge that H. R. 4 be moved through the House as soon as\nthe strikers return to work.\n###\nFull distribution\na Office Copy\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE--\nAugust 6, 1970\nRemarks by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, Republican Leader, U.S. House of Representatives,\non the floor of the House, Thursday, August 6, 1970, in support of the\nConference Report on H.R. 17070.\nMR. SPEAKER: I support this conference report and urge its prompt adoption.\nI also wish to commend the Chairman and the Members of the Committee on\nPost Office and Civil Service for what I consider to be one of the truly great\naccomplishments of this Congress. The postal reform bill, which we send to the\nPresident today, will stand as a landmark in the history of the United States\npostal service.\nThis legislation is the product of sincere, dedicated, bipartisan effort.\nThose efforts began with general studies in the last administration and moved ahead\nwith President Nixon's specific legislative proposals of May 1969 and April 16, 1970.\nToday we reach the end of a journey of tremendous legislative accomplishment by\nsending the postal reform bill to the President for his signature.\nWhile the final conference agreement before the House represents a fine\ncompromise between the work of the House and the work of the Senate, it basically\nembodies all the recommendations of President Nixon resulting from the unprecedented\nnegotiations between the Administration and the postal unions after the end of the\nMarch postal work stoppage. This includes, of course, the 8 per cent additional\npay raise for all Post Office Department employees.\nShortly after he was inaugurated, President Nixon pledged that his\nAdministration would move to abolish the political patronage system which has\nplagued the Post Office Department for nearly two centuries. That was accomplished\nby administrative action of the Postmaster General early last year. Under the\nprovisions of this legislation there will be a permanent barrier against any\nresurgence of partisan politics in the postal service.\nThe Post Office Department is to be reorganized as an independent establish-\nment in the Executive Branch and is purposely insulated from direct control by the\nPresident, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Congress.\nThe new postal system is intended to be self-supporting. It will have\ncontinuity of top management, with all the management tools and flexibility needed\n(more)\n-2-\nto properly manage. It will have appropriate controls over its expenses and its\nrevenues. It will have a workable means of raising the necessary funds for\nfacilities and capital improvements.\nThe new postal service will herald a new era of dignity and respect for\npostal employees who will be able to sit down at the bargaining table with\nmanagement and bargain collectively over pay, fringe benefits, and the conditions\nof their employment.\nThe end result of this massive reorganization of the antiquated Post Office\nDepartment can only be as the President anticipated -- \"a truly superior mail\nservice. \"\nI am proud to have been a co-sponsor of this legislation.\nAgain, Mr. Speaker, I emphasize that this legislation which comes to us\ntoday for final approval after many, many months of long, tedious efforts by the\nCommittee will stand as a monumental legislative achievement of the 91st Congress.\n# # #\nCONGRESSMAN\nNEWS\nGERALD R. FORD\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN LEADER\nRELEASE\n--FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE-\nAugust 6, 1970\nRemarks by Rep. Gerald R. Ford, Republican Leader, U.S. House of Representatives,\non the floor of the House, Thursday, August 6, 1970, in support of the\nConference Report on H.R. 17070.\nMR. SPEAKER: I support this conference report and urge its prompt adoption.\nI also wish to commend the Chairman and the Members of the Committee on\nPost Office and Civil Service for what I consider to be one of the truly great\naccomplishments of this Congress. The postal reform bill, which we send to the\nPresident today, will stand as a landmark in the history of the United States\npostal service.\nThis legislation is the product of sincere, dedicated, bipartisan effort.\nThose efforts began with general studies in the last administration and moved ahead\nwith President Nixon's specific legislative proposals of May 1969 and April 16, 1970.\nToday we reach the end of a journey of tremendous legislative accomplishment by\nsending the postal reform bill to the President for his signature.\nWhile the final conference agreement before the House represents a fine\ncompromise between the work of the House and the work of the Senate, it basically\nembodies all the recommendations of President Nixon resulting from the unprecedented\nnegotiations between the Administration and the postal unions after the end of the\nMarch postal work stoppage. This includes, of course, the 8 per cent additional\npay raise for all Post Office Department employees.\nShortly after he was inaugurated, President Nixon pledged that his\nAdministration would move to abolish the political patronage system which has\nplagued the Post Office Department for nearly two centuries. That was accomplished\nby administrative action of the Postmaster General early last year. Under the\nprovisions of this legislation there will be a permanent barrier against any\nresurgence of partisan politics in the postal service.\nThe Post Office Department is to be reorganized as an independent establish-\nment in the Executive Branch and is purposely insulated from direct control by the\nPresident, the Office of Management and Budget, and the Congress.\nThe new postal system is intended to be self-supporting. It will have\ncontinuity of top management, with all the management tools and flexibility needed\n(more)\n-2-\nto properly manage. It will have appropriate controls over its expenses and its\nrevenues. It will have a workable means of raising the necessary funds for\nfacilities and capital improvements.\nThe new postal service will herald a new era of dignity and respect for\npostal employees who will be able to sit down at the bargaining table with\nmanagement and bargain collectively over pay, fringe benefits, and the conditions\nof their employment.\nThe end result of this massive reorganization of the antiquated Post Office\nDepartment can only be as the President anticipated -- \"a truly superior mail\nservice. \"\nI am proud to have been a co-sponsor of this legislation.\nAgain, Mr. Speaker, I emphasize that this legislation which comes to us\ntoday for final approval after many, many months of long, tedious efforts by the\nCommittee will stand as a monumental legislative achievement of the 91st Congress.\n# # #\n11111 -\nU. S. HOUSE\nREPRESENTATIVES\nREPUBLICAN POLICY\nCOMMITTEE\nEP. JOHN J. RHODES, (R.-ARIZ.) CHAIRMAN\n1616 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING\nTELEPHONE 225-6168\n10\n93rd Congress\nJuly 17, 1973\nFirst Session\nStatement No. 15\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON H.R. 8929,\nTHE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL POSTAL AMENDMENTS OF 1973\nThe House Republican Policy Committee strongly opposes the passage of\nH.R. 8929, the Educational and Cultural Postal Amendments of 1973. The\nbill, reported by the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, is best\ndescribed in the Views of the Committee Minority as \"educational only as an\nobject lesson in raiding the Treasury\" and \"cultural to the extent of its\ncultivation of special interest groups\".\nH.R. 8929 would provide huge and unwarranted windfalls to certain\nprofit-oriented newspaper, periodical and magazine publishers and high-volume\ndistributors of books and records. It would accord \"favored status\" to\nselected mailers by--\n1) stretching out, from five to nine years and in biennial increments,\nthe phased rate increases for profit-oriented second class publi-\ncations and fourth class books and records;\n2) providing a one-third discount on the first 100,000 copies of each\nissue of profit-oriented second class publications and on the\nfirst 250,000 copies of each issue of non-profit second class\npublications;\n(OVER)\n- 2 -\n3) providing a 50 percent subsidy for any future rate increases for\nnon-profit publications.\nUpon the general taxpayer would fall the burden of this generosity--\napproximately $950 million during the next seven years. Beyond 1980 these\ncontinuing subsidies would prove equally exorbitant and inequitable.\nThe proposed legislation is completely contrary to principles\nunderlying the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. Once again it involves\nthe Congress in the postal rate-setting process. It not only makes the\nalready complicated second class rates more confusing and complicated, but\nby locking into permanent law references to former rate classifications that\nwere repealed by the Act, it perpetuates an archaic classification structure.\nEnactment of H.R. 8929 would prove a serious and costly error. It\nviolates the structuring of postal rates and destroys the effective\noperation of the Postal Rate Commission. It is an unwarranted raid on the\nFederal Treasury for the unneeded benefit of a selected few.\nThe House Republican Policy Committee opposes the passage of H.R. 8929,\nthe Educational and Cultural Postal Amendments of 1973.\nIIII\nU. S. HOUSE\nOF REPRESENTATIVES\nREPUBLICAN POLICY\nCOMMITTEE\nREP. JOHN J. RHODES, (R.-ARIZ.) CHAIRMAN\n1616 LONGWORTH HOUSE OFFICE BUILDING\nTELEPHONE 225-6168\n10\n93rd Congress\nJuly 17, 1973\nFirst Session\nStatement No. 15\nHOUSE REPUBLICAN POLICY COMMITTEE STATEMENT ON H.R. 8929,\nTHE EDUCATIONAL AND CULTURAL POSTAL AMENDMENTS OF 1973\nThe House Republican Policy Committee strongly opposes the passage of\nH.R. 8929, the Educational and Cultural Postal Amendments of 1973. The\nbill, reported by the Committee on Post Office and Civil Service, is best\ndescribed in the Views of the Committee Minority as \"educational only as an\nobject lesson in raiding the Treasury\" and \"cultural to the extent of its\ncultivation of special interest groups\".\nH.R. 8929 would provide huge and unwarranted windfalls to certain\nprofit-oriented newspaper, periodical and magazine publishers and high-volume\ndistributors of books and records. It would accord \"favored status\" to\nselected mailers by--\n1) stretching out, from five to nine years and in biennial increments,\nthe phased rate increases for profit-oriented second class publi-\ncations and fourth class books and records;\n2) providing a one-third discount on the first 100,000 copies of each\nissue of profit-oriented second class publications and on the\nfirst 250,000 copies of each issue of non-profit second class\npublications;\n(OVER)\n- 2 -\n3) providing a 50 percent subsidy for any future rate increases for\nnon-profit publications.\nUpon the general taxpayer would fall the burden of this generosity--\napproximately $950 million during the next seven years. Beyond 1980 these\ncontinuing subsidies would prove equally exorbitant and inequitable.\nThe proposed legislation is completely contrary to principles\nunderlying the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. Once again it involves\nthe Congress in the postal rate-setting process. It not only makes the\nalready complicated second class rates more confusing and complicated, but\nby locking into permanent law references to former rate classifications that\nwere repealed by the Act, it perpetuates an archaic classification structure.\nEnactment of H.R. 8929 would prove a serious and costly error. It\nviolates the structuring of postal rates and destroys the effective\noperation of the Postal Rate Commission. It is an unwarranted raid on the\nFederal Treasury for the unneeded benefit of a selected few.\nThe House Republican Policy Committee opposes the passage of H.R. 8929,\nthe Educational and Cultural Postal Amendments of 1973."
}