Time Essay: Why the Postal Service Must Be Changed

The Post Office, an organization older than the republic itself, went out of existence four years ago. Amid proud speeches and high hopes, the new U.S. Postal Service took its place. The Post Office's emblem, a galloping pony express rider from the 19th century, was replaced by a sleek 20th century eagle, and the Postal Service, a quasi-independent Government corporation, was expected to be equally up to date. Its assignment was not only to deliver the mail fast and efficiently but also to pay its own way within just a few years, phasing out...