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TECHNOLOGY OF POSTAL MODERNIZATION

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 1968

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
SUBCOMMITTEE ON POSTAL FACILITIES

AND MODERNIZATION OF THE

COMMITTEE ON POST OFFICE AND CIVIL SERVICE,

Washington, D.C. The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 9:55 a.m., in room 210, Cannon House Office Building, Hon. Charles H. Wilson (chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.

Mr. WILSON. The meeting will come to order.

I want to apologize to the witnesses we have this morning for the small attendance of subcommittee members. I think that you are probably aware of the problems we have been having for the past several months with duplicate committee meetings affecting many of the members. Yet, there is a possibility that three or four members will be with us as the morning goes on.

I would like to acknowledge the presence of our staff man, Mr. Ed Karoly, who, as you know, had a very tragic experience several months ago in July and was in very serious condition as a result of gunshot wounds suffered at the hands of a prowler. We are happy he is up and around and can be with us today. While we were waiting for Ed to recover Mr. Gould, my administrative assistant, has been helping to prepare for this session and assisting generally in the work of the subcommittee.

Ed, we are very happy to have you back and on your feet and looking so healthy. I know all of those who are associated with the Post Office and Civil Service Committee welcome you and wished you the best during the difficult time you have had.

The purpose of this meeting is to hear from the Bureau of Facilities and from the Bureau of Research and Engineering of the Post Office Department as to their long-range plans for modernization and mechanization of our postal service.

I think that the public, who we in Congress hear from so frequently regarding the postal service, is not aware of the planning and work that has gone into the improvement and modernization of our Post Office Department.

I think this meeting and the report to follow will let the public know just what is being done in the postal service. Also, it will show that we have very capable people who have come from industry and have outstanding backgrounds serving in the Post Office Department. These men are making very exciting plans for updating and modernizing the postal system.

This morning we are to hear from the Bureau of Facilities and Mr. John O'Marra, who is the Assistant Postmaster General for Facilities. Mr. O'Marra, if you will introduce in turn the other members of your staff, we will appreciate it very much.

STATEMENT OF JOHN L. O'MARRA, ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GEN-
ERAL, BUREAU OF FACILITIES, ACCOMPANIED BY AMOS J.
COFFMAN, DEPUTY ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL; DENNIS
A. JENSEN, DIRECTOR, REAL ESTATE DIVISION; CONRAD L.
TRAHERN, DIRECTOR, PROCUREMENT DIVISION; WALTER W.
KREIMANN, DIRECTOR, MAINTENANCE DIVISION; JACK NELSON,
SPECIAL ASSISTANT FOR FINANCIAL AFFAIRS; AND BOB
STENSTROM OF THE OFFICE OF FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
Mr. O'MARRA. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I would at this point like to introduce the members of my staff who are present. On my left, Amos Coffman, who is the Deputy Assistant Postmaster General, and behind me Dennis Jensen, who is the Director of the Realty Division; Conrad Trahern, who is the Director of our Procurement Division, and Walter Kreimann, who is the Director of the Maintenance Division. These comprise the three principal arms of the Bureau, and with us this morning also is Jack Nelson, who heads up our Office of Financial Management, and one of his aides, Bob Stenstrom, who is going to help us with the charts.

Let me say for all of us that we are pleased to have this opportunity to talk about the goals and functions and some of the problems we see in the Bureau of Facilities and the Post Office Department. We are heartened by your demonstration of interest in understanding our problems and assisting us with them. We very deeply appreciate your concern, Mr. Chairman. We are, of course, going to work with you and the other members of your committee just as closely as we possibly can. The staff with me this morning will be responsive to questions you might have in this area of modernizing the postal service.

I would like to begin by saying that the primary task of the Bureau Facilities is to plan, program, and execute the Department's capital investment program. When I say the Bureau of Facilities does that, I do not mean to imply this is a solo performance by any means. The Bureaus of Operations and transportation have people deeply involved in developing needs for the Post Office Department. The Bureau of Research and Engineering, from whom you will hear later, is equally involved in the planning and the execution of the program.

The Bureau of Facilities serves as the central coordinating point where the interests of the entire Department in capital investment and the acquisition of capital equipment are centered-where the program is put together-and most importantly, where the responsibility lies for explaining and justifying the program to Congress for funding purposes.

I would like this morning to use some charts, copies of which have been provided to you in the event it is not possible to see everything on the easel. These charts cover three principal areas. I would like first

to describe the Department's capital investment program; secondly, to explain some of the procedures for accomplishing this program, and finally, to close by mentioning some principal problem areas as we see them today.

With your permission I would like to start out with some charts that will, I think, convey to you the size and scope of the Department capital investment program.

THE POSTAL MODERNIZATION PROGRAM CONSISTS OF...

• Modernization of Space

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Construction of Federally-owned Facilities
Lease of Specially Constructed Facilities
Modernization of Federal Buildings

Mechanization of Mail-handling Systems

Motorization of Carrier Routes

Automation of Data Processing

On the first chart, we have listed the elements of the postal modernization program that pertain to capital investments. These are modernization of space, mechanization of mail-handling systems, motorization of carrier routes, and automation of data processing. These programs are funded through the Bureau of Facilities appropriations. Although the modernization of space through construction of federally owned facilities, lease of specially constructed facilities, and improvement of Federal buildings gets a good deal of publicity, these other elements-mechanization, motorization and automation of data processing are also important parts of the overall modernization program.

As you know, the Department has been engaged in carrying out a modernization program for over 2 years now. It is a good beginning.

From the enumeration of the division directors' titles in the Bureau of Facilities, you can see we have the responsibility for obtaining the elements of the modernization program.

The Bureau of Facilities is deeply involved because this Bureau has the responsibility for obtaining buildings and mail-handling equipment, vehicles, and computers; it awards and administers contracts and turns over procured items to the operating people. We do not quite lose contact after we turn equipment and space over to the operating people in that we have a continuing maintenance responsibility for the space and equipment of the Department.

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