Saturday mail delivery may become a thing of the past, a victim of a sagging economy that has been terrible for business, according to Postmaster General John E. Potter.
Potter was before Congress Wednesday reporting on postal needs. He told members of a Senate Subcommittee that in a "worst case scenario," the Postal Service might have to end the current six-days-a-week service, which, incidentally, is required by law.
Potter says total mail volume fell by more than nine billion pieces last year a drop of 4.5 percent compared to 2007. The drop in mail led to a $2.8 billion loss last year significantly more than expected.
Potter told alarmed lawmakers that USPS losses for the current fiscal year could reach $6 billion or more. That would exceed USPS' current credit limit from Congress.
"We believe that legislative relief is necessary to preserve the nation's mail system," Potter said.
Besides a drop in business from the economy, the Postal Service continues to face growing competition from private delivery firms, such as Federal Express, and from electronic mail.
