Los Banos Rotary Club History
Postal Official Sees Rate Boost To Lower Deficit

Speaking to members of the Rotary Club here Tuesday, John D. Tuttle, assistant district post office manager for this district, stated he believes increased rates in some or all postal departments are necessary and justified in view of the continuing improvement and speed of handling the mail for the people of this country.

At today's prices, Tuttle said, post office records show it costs the department 3 3-4 cents to handle a first class letter between cities, which requires no less than 11 separate handlings between sender and addressee.
Despite greatly increased efficiency and cutting of all possible costs within the department under the direction of Postmaster General Summerfield, Tuttle said the post office department continues to operate in the red—since 1945 the "over expended" total is some 46 billion dollars—enough to build 4600 million dollar schools.

Within the department, Tuttle said, the postal service has forged ahead considerably in the past four year, with emphasis extending markedly into the personnel departments and training of all workers to do a better, faster job of handling the mail and serving the public. To such end the department has developed an extensive training program with regularly scheduled seminars conducted throughout each district.

Commenting on the tremendous increase in the volume of mail being handled, Tuttle said the two offices of San Francisco and Los Angeles today handle more mail than the entire state of Texas. United States post offices, he said, handle more mail than all the rest of the postal system in the world together.

Tuttle said that in his opinion the rate increase will probably be the flat 5c rate for all first class mail, now proposed to Congress, rather than a separate rate for air mail. In the past several years there has been a very marked change in the handling of all mail, utilizing rail, air and highway transportation, with emphasis on the fastest delivery possible regardless of postage paid.
Under the flat rate proposal, all first class mail would be dispatched on a "space available" basis, utilizing air freight rates wherever possible rather than the present air rate which is based on each individual piece of mail handled.

With the curtailing of railroad service to many communities, Tuttle said the post office department has maintained and mostly improved service by instituting fast highway truck and highway "Hypo" service to such areas. The experience record has been so satisfactory that such service is being expanded throughout the United States.

Tuttle was introduced by local Postmaster Rocco Pernetti, and the program arranged by Emil Erreca as program chairman.
Tuesday evening Tuttle also addressed the Lions Club and presented a similar resume of post office activities.

February 15, 1957

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