Eff. Aug. 20, 1949, 14 F.R. 5225, 63 Stat. 1066

Prepared by the President and transmitted to the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled, June 20, 1949, pursuant to the provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1949, approved June 20, 1949 [see 5 U.S.C. 901 et seq.].

POST OFFICE DEPARTMENT

Section 1. Functions of the Postmaster General

(a) There are hereby transferred to the Postmaster General the functions of all subordinate officers and agencies of the Post Office Department, including the functions of each Assistant Postmaster General, the Purchasing Agent for the Post Office Department, the Comptroller, and the Bureau of Accounts.

(b) The Postmaster General is hereby authorized to delegate to any officer, employee, or agency of the Post Office Department designated by him such of his functions as he deems appropriate.

Sec. 2. Deputy Postmaster General

There shall be in the Post Office Department a Deputy Postmaster General, who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall perform such duties as the Postmaster General may designate, and shall receive compensation at the rate of $10,330 per annum or such other compensation as may be provided by law for the under secretaries of executive departments after the date of transmittal of this reorganization plan to the Congress.

Sec. 3. Assistant Postmasters General

There shall be in the Post Office Department four Assistant Postmasters General, who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall perform such duties as the Postmaster General may designate, and shall receive compensation at the rate of $10,330 per annum or such other compensation as may be provided by law for the assistant secretaries of executive departments after the date of transmittal of this reorganization plan to the Congress.

Sec. 4. Advisory Board

There is hereby established an Advisory Board for the Post Office Department of which the Postmaster General shall be chairman and the Deputy Postmaster General the vice chairman. The Board shall have seven additional members, representative of the public, who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The members so appointed shall each receive compensation of $50 per diem when engaged in duties as members of the Board (including travel time to and from their homes or regular places of business) and reasonable subsistence and travel expense as determined by the Postmaster General. The Board shall meet quarterly at the seat of the government in the District of Columbia, or at such other time and place as the Postmaster General shall determine for the purpose of considering methods and policies for the improvement of the postal service, and shall advise and make recommendations to the Postmaster General with respect to such methods and policies.

Sec. 5. Agencies Abolished

(a) There are hereby abolished the Bureau of Accounts in the Post Office Department (including the office of Comptroller) and the office of Purchasing Agent for the Post Office Department.

(b) The offices of First Assistant Postmaster General, Second Assistant Postmaster General, Third Assistant Postmaster General, and Fourth Assistant Postmaster General (5 U.S.C. 363) are hereby abolished; but the incumbents thereof immediately prior to the taking of effect of the provisions of this reorganization plan shall without reappointment be the first Assistant Postmasters General in office under the provisions of section 3 hereof.

Sec. 6. Employees, Records, Property, and Funds

The employees now being employed, and the records and property now being used or held, in connection with any functions transferred by the provisions of this reorganization plan are hereby transferred to such agencies of the Post Office Department as the Postmaster General shall designate. The unexpended balances of appropriations, allocations, and other funds available or to be made available for use in connection with such functions shall remain so available.

[The Post Office Department and the office of Postmaster General of the Post Office Department were abolished and all functions, powers, and duties transferred to the United States Postal Service by Pub. L. 91–375, § 4(a), Aug. 12, 1970, 84 Stat. 773, set out as a note under 39 U.S.C. 201.]

Message of the President

To the Congress of the United States:

I transmit herewith Reorganization Plan No. 3 of 1949, prepared in accordance with the provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1949. This plan constitutes an important first step in strengthening the organization of the Post Office Department.

One of the prime essentials of good departmental administration is authority from the Congress to a department head to organize and control his department. The Commission on Organization of the executive branch of the Government emphasized in its first and subsequent reports that separate authorities to subordinates should be eliminated. The plan gives the Postmaster General the necessary authority to organize and control his Department by transferring to him the functions of all subordinate officers and agencies of the Post Office Department, including the functions of each Assistant Postmaster General, the Purchasing Agent, the Comptroller, and the Bureau of Accounts. The Postmaster General is authorized to delegate to subordinates designated by him such of his functions as he may deem appropriate.

The Postmaster General is responsible for the management of one of the world’s largest businesses. Like the head of any large business, the Postmaster General should be given adequate top-level assistance in carrying on the operations of the Department so that he may have time to devote to matters of departmental and public policy. In order to provide needed assistance to the Postmaster General, the plan establishes the positions of Deputy Postmaster General, and four Assistant Postmasters General, comparable to the positions of Under Secretary and Assistant Secretaries in other departments.

The plan also establishes an Advisory Board for the Post Office Department, composed of the Postmaster General, the Deputy Postmaster General, and seven other members representing the public who shall be appointed by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Advisory Board will make available to the Postmaster General the advice of outstanding private citizens and will afford a useful channel for the interchange of views between postal officials and the public concerning the operations of the postal service.

I have found after investigation that each reorganization contained in the plan is necessary to accomplish one or more of the purposes set forth in section 2(a) of the Reorganization Act of 1949. I have also found and hereby declare that by reason of the reorganization made by this plan, it is necessary to include in the plan provisions for the appointment and compensation of the Deputy Postmaster General, four Assistant Postmasters General, and members of the Advisory Board for the Post Office Department. The plan abolishes the Bureau of Accounts of the Post Office Department and the offices of Comptroller, Purchasing Agent, First, Second, Third, and Fourth Assistant Postmasters General.