EXTRA RECEIPTS OR CERTIFICATES OF MAILING FOR OTHER THAN ORDINARY MAIL

FEBRUARY 5, 1930.-Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. KELLY, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 8569]

The Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, having had under consideration the bill (H. R. 8569), to authorize the Postmaster General to issue additional receipts or certificates of mailing to senders of any class of mail matter and to fix the fees chargeable therefor, reports the same back to the House with the following amendment: In line 8 strike out the word "page."

So amended, the committee recommends that the bill do pass. This legislation is recommended by the Postmaster General in his annual report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929, in which he states as follows:

The act of February 14, 1929 (39 U. S. C. 260), authorized the issue of certificates of mailing for ordinary mail of any class. Requests for additional receipts or certificates of mailing covering registered, insured, and collect-on-delivery mail are of sufficient frequency to justify the request for authority to charge for the additional receipts covering other than ordinary mail. Recommendation is therefore made for legislation to permit a charge for such additional receipts. Hearings were held on this bill by a subcommittee of the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, at which representatives of the Post Office Department testified in favor of such legislation.

The act referred to in the pending bill reads as follows:

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Postmaster General may provide by regulation for furnishing to the sender a receipt showing the mailing of ordinary mail of any class, and for the payment of such fee as he may prescribe for such receipt: Provided, That the furnishing of such receipt shall not place any liability on the Post Office Department or its revenues. Approved February 14, 1929.

The bill (H. R. 8569) proposes to extend the provisions of the above act so as to include additional receipts or certificates of mailing covering registered, insured, and collect-on-delivery mail.

Prior to July 1, 1929, certificates of mailing covering ordinary domestic matter were furnished for parcels of the fourth class only. Beginning July 1, 1929, such certificates were authorized to cover domestic ordinary mail of any class. During the fiscal year 1929 there were issued 6,873,116 such receipts, as certificates of mailing, for ordinary mail, at 1 cent each, amounting to $68,731.16.

At the hearing conducted by a subcommittee of the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, representatives of the Post Office Department testified that special requests are being made for additional receipts or certificates of mailing covering registered, insured, and collect-on-delivery mail, and there is a growing tendency on the part of branches of large firms to obtain additional receipts for the main office as an evidence of mailing, and suggested that the department should be authorized to charge for this extra service.

Your committee believes this will be a service appreciated by patrons, and urges the enactment of the bill.

CHARGES FOR EXTRA SERVICES IN POSTAL SERVICE

February 5, 1930.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of the Union and ordered to be printed

Mr. KELLY, from the Committee on the Post Office and Post Roads, submitted the following

REPORT

[To accompany H. R. 8650]

The Committee on the Post Offices and Post Roads, having had under consideration the bill (H. R. 8650), to authorize the Postmaster General to charge for services rendered in disposing of undelivered mail in those cases where it is considered proper for the Postal Service to dispose of such mail by sale or to dispose of collecton-delivery mail without collection of the collect-on-delivery charges or for a greater or less amount than stated when mailed, reports the same back to the House with the recommendation that the bill do pass.

This proposed legislation is recommended by the Postmaster General in his annual report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1929, in which he states:

Perishable matter is frequently sent as insured or collect-on-delivery mail, and frequently its inherent nature is such that its return to the senders is not desired, in which event, when the senders so request, it is treated as "abandoned." In some instances such matter is destroyed; in others it is sold. The proceeds of the sale of such "abandoned" mail become the property of the Postal Service.

In certain cases postmasters are authorized to sell the contents of mail which is not abandoned; in other cases in which postmasters have not the authority from the department and the senders do not care to abandon the mail, senders request postmasters to sell and remit the proceeds. In either event postmasters act directly or indirectly as the agent of the senders. In those cases where sale is consummated it is believed that a charge should be made for the sale and remittance of proceeds, and if authority were given for a charge or commission in such cases authority might be given for the similar disposition of other perishable mail where the sender so requests for which permission is not now given. Cases also arise where the charges on C. O. D. mail are either canceled or changed to a greater or less amount than that which was stated on the matter when it was mailed, requiring additional services on the part of the postmasters at both offices of mailing and address without additional compensation therefor.

These changes are not due to fault of the Postal Service. It is believed that a charge should be made for such services performed which were not contemplated at the time the C. O. D. articles involved were mailed.

Your committee, after a hearing upon this measure, is of the opinion that authority should be given for the sale of undeliverable parcels containing perishable matter, and after such sale to remit proceeds with a proper fee deducted. There is no just reason why the Post Office Department should bear the expense of this necessary action without compensation. It is believed that the imposition of a proper fee will have a remedial effect and will produce some additional revenue for the Postal Service.

It is provided that reasonable fees for services in effecting delivery of collect-on-delivery mail upon terms differing from those stipulated at the time of mailing may be established by the Postmaster General. The committee urges the enactment of this measure.