4130 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS February 21, 1969 tenti~y of the United States of America to FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION IN THE ARMY 'Great Britain. Francis c. Turner, of Virginia, to be Ad­ The following-named officers under the Jacob D. Beam, of New Jersey, a Foreign ministrator of the Federal Highway Admin­ provisions of title ll), United States Code, sec­ Services Officer of the class of career minister. istration. tion 3066, to be assigned to positions of im­ to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Pleni­ DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION portance and responsibility designated by the potentiary of the United States of America President under subsection (a) of section to the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. Secor D. Browne, of Massachusetts, to be an Assistant Secretary of Transportation. 3066, in grades as follows: John S. D. Eisenhower, of Pennsylvania, to To be general be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipo­ INTERSTATE CO_MMERCE COMMISSION tentiary of the United States of America to Donald L. Jackson, of California, to be an Lt. Gen. Ferdinand Joseph Chesarek, Belgium. Interstate Commerce Commissioner for the 021177, Army of the United States (major U.S. DISTRICT JUDGE remainder of the term expiring December 31, general, U.S. Army). James F. Battin, of Montana, to be U.S. 1973, vice Grant E. Syphers, deceased. To be lieutenant general district judge for the district of Montana DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Maj. Gen. William Eugene DePuy, 034710, vice William J. Jameson. Eugene T. Rossides, of New York, to be an Army of the United States (brigadier general, SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Assistant Secretary of the Treasury. U.S. Army). IN THE NAVY Hilary J. Sandoval, Jr~. of Texas, to be Ad­ UNITED NATIONS ministrator of the Small Business Adminis­ Lt. Gen. Harry Jacob Lemley, Jr., 019756, Having designated Rear Adm. Edwin B. tration. Army of the United States (major general, Hooper, U.S. Navy for commands and other DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN U.S. Army), for appointment as senior U.S. duties determined by the President to be DEVELOPMENT Army member of the Military Staff Commit­ within the contemplation of title 10, United Lawrence M. Cox, of Virginia, to be an As­ tee of the United Nations, under the pro­ States Code, section 5231, I nominate him sistant Secretary of Housing and Urban De­ visions of title 10, United States Code, sec­ for appointment to the grade of vice admiral velopment. tion 711. while so serving. EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS SUPPORT FOR ENDING POSTAL Both Nixon and the Postmaster General But bolder action is called for. A presiden­ PATRONAGE insisted that politics would play no role in tial commission headed by the former presi­ the choice among the three highest candi­ dent of the American Telephone and Tele­ dates for postal positions. They also said that graph Company recommended that a semi­ HON. WILLIAM A. STEIGER no member of Congress--or politician­ private organization operate the postal sys­ would be called upon to recommend which of tem, simila.r to the corporation which oper­ OF WISCONSIN the top-scoring candidates should be selected. ates the communication satellites. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES The White House, it is claimed, will sub­ We believe that Mr. Blount and the Nixon Wednesday, February 19, 1969 mit nominations on the basis of its own non­ administration seriously consider the com­ political decisions. mission's recommendations in the months Mr. STEIGER of Wisconsin. Mr. Announcements by the President and the ahead. Speaker, under leave to extend my re­ Postmaster General must be taken at their New efficiencies are needed. Better postal marks in the REcORD, I include the fol­ face value. service is needed. Lower postal :rates are lowing: We still are convinced that Rep. William A. incumbent. Only through better organiza­ Steiger of the 6th District should continue tion, utilizing the principles of sound busi­ [From the Fond du Lac (Wis.) Common­ to press for enactment of his proposed legis­ ness practices can we hope to save the post wealth Reporter, Feb. 6, 1969] lation to do away with the present require­ office from its almost certain disastrous fate. AT LEAST A START ment that the Senate confirm nominations If it is true that "mail moves the coun­ There are so many things wrong with the for postmasterships. · try." then for the sake of the country, we United States postal service that even a small had better solve the postal problem without semblance of effort to improve it and meet [WHBL editorial, Feb.lO, 1969] delay. some of its problems is more than welcome ENDING POSTAL PATRONAGE by the general patronizing public. President Richard Nixon announced last [WTMJ-TV editorial, Feb. 6, 1969] President Nixon, at his press conference Wednesday immediate removal of all post- It used to be in the changeover of occu­ Wednesday, announced that effective imme­ pants at the White House that "to the vic­ diately, all postmasterships will be removed master and rural mail carrier appointments tors belong the spoils." President Nixon is from the political patronage system. The from political patronage. Such appointments modifying this to the extent that it involves President said it was a historic decision to previously have been made through a system postoffice patronage. Up until now the jobs eliminate political considerations which he involving political favoritism. of postmasters and rural carriers have been claimed have . been traditionally considered For several years, WHBL has editorialized handed out with political considerations up­ in the election of postmasters since the in favor of Nixon's recent action. Several permost in mind. The system, in recent years, earliest days of the Republic. congressmen and senators from Wisconsin, has been the target of attack by both Repub­ Postmaster Gen. Winton M. Blount par­ including Rep. William A. Steiger of the Sixth licans and Democrats. The elimination of the ticipated in the Nixon press conference at District, have introduced legisla-tion which spoils system in the postoffice has had strong which it was claimed that, when future would have accomplished the same goal. bipartisan support among Wisconsin con­ vacancies occur for postmasterships or rural The President, making the announcement gressmen. carrier jobs, "The best qualified candidates jointly with the Postmaster General, Winton Actually, the appointments throughout the will be appointed, regardless of politics­ Blount, said that under "an historic new years have caused many a headache. Here indeed without anyone even asking the postal policy" such appointments would be in Wisconsin last June five officers of the candidates' political affiliation." made under open examinations with the top Marinette county Democratic executive com­ It is strange that rural carriers should be qualifiers getting the jobs. mittee resigned because they thought the included in the political patronage business, It takes a certain amount of courage for wrong Democrat got the job of postmaster at but the records of county party committees, the political party in power to divest itself of Marinette. Only recently former Lieut-Gov­ including Fond du Lac, are filled with copies the spoils of office, and all thinking Ameri­ ernor Pat Lucey told Dodge County Demo­ of letters suggesting donations on behalf of cans should recognize the integrity which crats that they should be "thankful for one the higher-ranking candidates for every­ the Nixon Administration has exhibited by small blessing that comes to us out of Presi­ thing from postmasterships and rural mail so doing. dent Nixon's inaugural. We (meaning the carriers to the lesser of all positions-the But there is more than political power in­ D~mocrats) are freed of all responsibility janitor at the post office. volved. The U.S. Postal system is in deep for postoffice patronage." We suppose there is nothing to prevent trouble. Inefficiencies have crept into the Well, the Republicans are now, too, be­ senators and representatives and county organization over the years. Bureaucratic cause of Nixon's action. The President has party chairmen from writing a letter of troubles have increased as the demand for ordered the civil service commission to con­ recommendation for a candidate under the more postal services has grown. Postal rates duct open competitive examinations for job new "policy." have skyrocketed in recent years with no vacancies and to fill them solely on merit. In all job vacancies.involved the three top end in sight. Furthermore, Postmaster-General Blount is scorers only will be considered after open, By selecting the most competent men to recommending new legislation to remove the competitive civil service examinations, as is serve as postmasters, at least some of these requirement that the senate confirm post­ supposed to be the case with all career fed­ problems can be tackled. It is a step in the master appointments. President Nixon and eral positions, the postmaster general said. right direction. Postmaster Blount are instituting business- February 21, 1969 EXTENSIONS OF REMARKS 413l like practices to a government department and there is now no prospect of a military ing ways to permit and expedite mf'.s­ that is in dire need of being run like a busl· decision without great new military ex­ sive infusions of relief in the immediate ness, instead of being a haven for political lackeys. ertions. The outCOIDe of these exertions, future. I can see no value in doubting should they now be forthcoming, will the good faith of either side on this criti­ clearly be a major determinant of how cal question at this critical moment. NIGERIA AND BIAFRA the differences between Nigeria and Bi­ The world will be waiting to see which afra are ultimately resolved, but unless side, if either fails, by delay, pretext, or massive quantities of relief get into the evasion to live up to these assurances.