.
BEFORE THE
POSTAL RATE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON,
D.C. 20268-0001
RECEIVE11
AN 8 II 53PM
'97
PSSlbi RATE CCHMr!?S,DH
OFFICE OiTllE SiCAETARY
POSTAL
RATE AND FEE CHANGES, 1997
Docket No. R97-1
i
I
RESPONSE OF UNITED STATES POSTAL SERVICE WITNESS DEGEN TO
INTERROGATORIES
OF THE OFFICE OF THE CONSUMER ADVOCATE
(OCAIUSPS-T12-12-15)
The United States Postal Service hereby provides responses, of witness
Degen to the following
OCAIUSPS-T12-12-,15,
Each interrogatory
interrogatories
of the Office of the Consumer
Advocate:
tiled on July 25, 1997.
is stated verbatim and is followed by the response
Respectfully
submitted,
UNITED STATES
POSTAL
By its attorneys:
Daniel J. Foucheaux, Jr.
Chief Counsel, Ratemaking
Susan M. Duchek
475 L’Enfant Plaza West, SW.
Washington, D.C. 20260-l 137
(202) 268-2990; Fax -5402
August 8, 1997
SERVICE
Response of United States Postal Service Witness Degen
to Interrogatories of Office of the Consumer Advocate
OCANSPS-T12-12.
Please refer to lines 151-155 (the KEEP option) of program MBC
of LR-H-146.
a.
Please confirm that among the variables kept at this stage of the program are
variables F266 and F226. If you do not confirm, please explain1 how to interpret
this SAS “KEEP” option.
b.
Please confirm that this program MBC operates on the FY 1996 IOCS data file
contained in LR-H-23. If you do not confirm, please describe all files this
program relies upon.
C.
Please confirm that the SAS program that produced the H-23 IOCS file does not
output any values for the variables F266 and F226. See pages, 5-l 0 of the
printed documentation accompanying the IOCS file. If you do not confirm,
please explain and, if necessary, update pages 5-10 of H-23.
d.
Please define the variables F266 and F226.
Are
the variables F226 and F266 used in LR-H-146? If so, please describe how
e.
they are used.
Do other Postal Service witnesses or library references rely upon the values of
f.
F,266 and F226? If so, please describe how they are used.
OCANSPS-T12-12
Response.
a. Confirmed.
b. Program MBC, as it appears in LR-H-146, operates on the IOCS tally file in the form
of a SAS data set which contains numerous fields which are not usied by any
programs in LR-H-146.
data set which,permits
facilitates distribution
The LR-H-23 file is a flat file representation
of that SAS
replication of results based on IOCS data, and which
of the relevant data. It would be more accurate to say that the
LR-H-23 file is compatible with the programs in LR-H-146, including program MBC
In the “MODTABLE”
data step, program MBC employs the file ‘MODF96,”
which
identifies the finance numbers in IOCS which belong to the MODS l&2 office group.
The “MODF96” file was included on the LR-H-146 diskette as modsfin2,dat
Response of United States Postal Service Witness Degen
to interrogatories of Office of the Consumer Advocate
c. Confirmed.
d. I am informed that F226 and F266 are undefined in the FY 1996 IOCS data file
e. No.
f.
I am not aware of any other witnesses or library references that make use of F226
or F266.
Response of United States Postal Service Witness Degen
to Interrogatories of Office of the Consumer Advocate
OCAIUSPS-Tl2-13.
Please refer to library reference H-23, line 2 of program
MOD1 DIR. This line sets an error option with the statement “OPTIONS ERRORS=1 ;‘I,
Please explain the purpose of this SAS statement.
OCAIUSPS-T12-13
Response.
I consulted the SAS User’s Guide: Basics, Version 5 Edition (Gary, NC SAS Institute,
Inc., 1985) p. 434. The function of the “OPTIONS
the maximum number of observations
ERRORS” statement is to “specify
for which complete error messalges are printed.”
I am informed that this statement was included in MOD1 DIR and several other
programs in LR-H-146 to limit the size of the programs’ SAS log files.
Response of United States Postal Service Witness Degen
to Interrogatories of Office of the Consumer Advocate
OCAKJSPS-T12-14.
Please refer to lines 4345 of MOD1 DIR or to linles 65-67 of
NONMOD12, LR-H-23. These lines contain the following SAS statement:
IF ‘B’<=F133<=‘E’ OR F133=‘M
OR ‘A’<=F9635<=‘C’ OR F9635=‘K’ THEN HANDLING = ’ PC-CRD’;
ELSE HANDLING = ’ PC-LTR’;
a.
b.
C.
d.
Please confirm that the variable F9635 contains single piece shape after June
30, and F133 contains single piece shape prior to July 1, 1996. If you do not
confirm, please explain the difference between these two shape variables.
Please confirm that an F9635 value of ‘A’ corresponds to letters, ‘B’ corresponds
to cards, ‘C’ corresponds to USPS forms, and ‘K corresponds tlo detached
address cards. If you do not confirm, please explain how to interpret H-23, page
44.
Please confirm that an F133 value of ‘A’ corresponds to letters, and values ‘B’,
‘C’, ‘D’, ‘E’, and ‘M’ correspond to cards. If you do not confirm, please explain
how to interpret H-23, page 44.
Please explain why the variable HANDLING is set to ‘PC-LTR’ for letter shaped
tallies received prior to July 1, but it is set to ‘PC-CRD’ for letter shaped tallies
received after June 30, 1996.
OCAIUSPS-T12-14
Response
a. Confirmed.
b. Confirmed.
c. F133 value ‘D’ corresponds
to USPS forms. Confirmed for other codes
d. The program is in error. The statement should read:
IF ‘B’-==F133<=‘E’ OR F133=‘M
OR ‘B’<=F9635<=‘c’ OR F9635=‘K’ THEN HANDLING = ’ PC-CRD’;
ELSE HANDLING = ’ PC-LTR’;
The error affects the shape distribution factors used to distribute loose letters and
cards in “identified”
containers,
and thus will have some effect on the container and
Response of United States Postal Service Witness Degen
to Interrogatories of Office of the Consumer Advocate
not-handling
stages of the distribution
key formation process.
response contains corrected volume-variable
Attachment
1 to this
costs by subclass and cost pool.
Attachment
1 -- Response to OCAAJSPS-TIZ-14
FY96 Volume-Variable Mail Processing Costs
Letter/card shape assignment corrected
Subclass or Special Service
Presort Letters and Parcels
Private Mailing Cards
Presort Cards
Priority
Express
Mailgrams
Within County
Outside County - Regular
Outside County - Non Profit
Outside County - Classroom
Third Single Piece Rate
Bulk - Regular Carder Route
Bulk - Regular Other
Bulk - Non Profit Carder Route
Bulk - Non Profit Other
Parcels - Zone Rate
Bound Printed Matter
Special Rate
Library Rate
USPS
Free for Blind/Handicapped
International
Registry
Certilied
IODS 18.2
Es/
express
341,925
168,983
0
6,755
3,380
393
108
0
2
614
385
1
2,255
8,820
77,952
2,160
25,676
41
58
4
2
705
2
2,865
27
0
0
0
0
0
774
643,886
2.317
483
0
78
0
1,924
26,727
0
1
174
5
0
159
11
270
I
107
14
6
107
0
923
1
2,062
57
0
0
0
28
0
7
35,456
fsml
lsml
370,569
18,324
0
369
3
7,983
164
0
501
39,303
8,049
831
4,169
9,225
171,614
661
27,307
1,311
2,023
1,161
325
4,299
0
6,507
112
0
0
0
0
0
1,728
676,538
Page 1 of 7
manf
494,594
69,797
604
26,377
3,673
247
490
0
99
931
393
1
2,402
3,194
30,016
666
13,993
93
17
104
1
2,148
1
10,660
39
0
0
0
0
0
1,630
662.170
man1
175.531
12,845
0
77
336
10,050
768
0
2,923
72,575
10,795
383
4,207
6,895
111,481
608
22,942
711
2,732
802
671
1,626
553
5,399
65
0
0
0
0
0
885
445,858
632,527
119,617
552
34,014
8,502
4,215
1,309
72
639
10,753
2,123
1
7,679
9,801
148,954
1,530
61,677
626
378
301
84
5,325
396
13,706
544
0
0
0
0
0
4,509
1,069,833
manp
mecparc
4,328
546
0
2
1
6,663
421
0
0
1,024
201
0
312
564
3,172
1
181
3,393
555
992
254
512
0
544
52
0
0
0
0
0
1
23,719
1,516
18
0
99
0
3,081
1
0
12
513
171
7
8
223
484
84
369
1,221
317
101
197
78
2
6
3
0
0
0
0
0
152
8,666
Attachment
1 -_ Response to OCAAJSPS-TIZ-14
FY96 Volume-Variable Mail Processing Costs
Letter/cam shape assignment corrected
Subclass or Special Service
Letters and Parcels
Presort Letters and Parcels
Postal Cards
Private Mailing Cards
Presort Cards
Priority
Express
Mailgrams
Within County
Outside County - Regular
Outside County - Non Profit
Outside County - Classroom
Third Single Piece Rate
Bulk - Regular Carder Route
Bulk - Regular Other
Bulk - Non Profit Carder Route
Bulk - Non Profit Other
Parcels - Zone Rate
Bound Printed Matter
Special Rate
Library Rate
USPS
Free for Blind/Handicapped
International
Registry
Certified
:d
priority
119.023
271271
71
3,030
027
29
2
0
0
260
66
0
357
2,407
12,617
797
5,710
6
2
76
0
446
1
2,491
146
0
0
0
0
0
561
176,219
7.661
1;013
0
165
0
60,632
1,173
0
2
630
a
0
396
265
704
9
169
369
97
171
4
3,064
67
2,726
42
0
0
0
0
0
97
99,686
spbs 0th
spbs Prio
19.857
'903
0
66
136
7,017
0
0
151
5,229
1,229
139
1,073
6,514
29,095
478
5,666
705
1,104
384
236
666
511
143
33
0
0
0
0
0
111
81,666
Page 2 of 7
9.517
11310
0
21
12
27,710
32
0
2
1,161
135
0
169
793
1,697
12
108
1,032
180
252
2
536
556
1,029
70
0
0
0
0
0
2
46,373
BusReply
7.334
‘926
0
476
129
205
114
0
1
10
2
0
447
11
547
1
99
157
160
0
1
277
1
294
a9
756
0
0
0
0
12.857
24,981
INTL
LD15
a.1 62
1;160
0
259
0
2,006
1,990
0
24
1,106
al
3
119
121
1,405
1
329
236
1
2
34
292
123
65,706
3,453
33
0
0
0
4
5
66,674
276.906
53;179
0
0.043
1,650
0
0
0
0
1,166
0
0
1,936
4,506
22,373
0
4,547
0
0
0
0
1,321
0
5,932
0
0
0
0
0
0
956
383,539
LD41
6.566
5;656
0
0
91
10
0
0
0
76
0
0
109
236
1,600
66
364
0
0
0
0
0
76
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
16.073
Attachment
1 -- Response to OCAIUSPS-T12-14
FY96 Volume-Variable Mail Processing Costs
Letter/card shape assignment corrected
Subclass or Special Service
Letters and Parcels
Presort Letters and Parcels
Postal Cards
Private Mailing Cards
Presort Cards
Priority
Express
Mailgrams
Within County
Outside County - Regular
Outside County - Non Profit
Outside County - Classroom
Third Single Piece Rate
Bulk - Regular Carrier Route
Bulk - Regular Other
Bulk - Non Profit Carder Route
Bulk - Non Profit Other
Parcels - Zone Rate
Bound Printed Matter
Special Rate
Library Rate
USPS
Free for Blind/Handicapped
International
Registry
Certified
D42
LD43
893
106
0
15
37
21
1
0
0
59
1
0
77
35
546
27
63
23
0
21
0
21
‘0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1,946
168.942
43,034
84
4,036
917
29,354
4,214
0
1,006
21,991
3,488
87
3,261
30,202
66,400
3,474
14,489
10,457
4,721
4,864
839
2,667
723
2,717
1,308
2,006
116
317
0
0
1,973
427,688
LD44
LD48 Exp
59.094
18,008
0
1,079
68
3,526
757
0
138
3.189
415
0
67
1,414
11,716
301
1,816
169
258
379
2
522
1
369
350
0
0
0
0
0
292
103,941
Page 3 of 7
214
16
0
1
0
19
1,092
0
0
9
0
0
1
9
36
1
14
10
4
3
1
1
0
3
8
0
0
0
0
0
0
1,441
LD48 0th
7,833
2,356
2
275
46
1,132
257
0
23
721
140
2
124
1,098
2.284
170
503
359
116
181
17
147
16
71
305
498
15
45
10
0
757
19,512
LD48-SSV
4.156
894
0
113
0
588
1,330
0
0
180
81
0
80
244
776
1
31
35
58
117
0
311
0
243
1.851
2,016
0
63
150
0
2,976
16,292
LD49
81.152
61,937
0
5,631
1,963
1,711
12
0
648
21,683
5,671
1
8,241
2,252
9,430
305
1,532
612
1,925
283
77
11,970
214
999
13
0
0
0
0
0
11,358
229,618
LD79
7,794
18,438
0
1,334
1,131
1,606
33
0
423
1,270
787
0
1,072
6,703
37,124
1,388
16,598
461
6
2
1
1,481
1
680
62
0
0
0
0
0
37
98,430
Attachment
1 -- Response to OCAJUSPS-Tl2-14
FY96 Volume-Variable Mail Processing Costs
Letter/card shape assignment corrected
Subclass or Special Service
Letters and Parcels
Presort Letters and Parcels
Postal Cards
Private Mailing Cards
Presort Cards
Priority
Express
Mailgrams
Within County
Outside County - Regular
Outside County - Non Profit
Outside County - Classroom
Third Single Piece Rate
Bulk - Regular Carrier Route
Bulk - Regular Other
Bulk - Non Profit Carder Route
Bulk - Non Profit Other
Parcels - Zone Rate
Bound Printed Matter
Special Rate
Library Rate
USPS
Free for Blind/Handicapped
International
Registry
Certified
Insurance
COD
Special Delivery
Special Handlina
Other Special Services
Total
IAILGRAM
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
255
0
0
0
0
0
0
39
0
0
0
0
0
0
293
Registry
1,806
8
0
44
0
310
416
0
0
52
1
0
1
3
39
0
5
35
7
65
0
339
0
324
15,586
80
0
0
0
0
300
19,423
REWRAP
1Bulk pr
6,324
183
246
725
0
1,638
0
0
1
245
8
1
201
13
1,816
0
26
3
1
0
0
6
0
807
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
12,245
Page 4 of 7
2,093
3,740
0
58
222
310
7
0
3
309
16
1
162
412
541
12
449
16
77
9
3
4
2
20
4
0
0
0
0
0
0
8,470
1CancMPP
157.064
6,200
64
3,758
205
6,494
177
0
12
1,391
132
4
999
757
2,793
87
1,194
918
160
167
190
1,501
172
2,014
15
0
0
0
0
0
1,689
188,155
1 EEQMT
15,100
3,386
10
440
110
1,986
563
0
319
2,598
404
27
271
1,294
7,604
190
1,685
774
262
135
53
217
220
827
420
.54
1
5
2
1
251
39,210
IMISC
51,997
8,964
27
1,780
642
5,763
1,137
1
105
3,948
800
40
699
1,738
13,510
234
4,069
759
356
180
69
986
82
3,329
571
79
0
2
2
2
858
102,738
IOPbulk
51,523
10,954
0
625
293
7,270
370
0
165
13,107
1,626
591
2,290
17,563
96,253
2,734
21,620
2,024
1,905
1,021
136
157
2
941
14
0
0
0
0
0
284
233,465
Attachment
I -- Response to OCAIUSPS-Tl2-14
FY96 Volume-Variable Mail Processing Costs
Letter/card shape assignment corrected
Subclass or Special Service
Letters and Parcels
Presort Letters and Parcels
Postal Cards
Private Mailing Cards
Presort Cards
Priority
Express
Mailgrams
Within County
Outside County - Regular
Outside County - Non Profit
Outside County - Classroom
Third Single Piece Rate
Bulk - Regular Carrier Route
Bulk - Regular Other
Bulk - Non Profit Carder Route
Bulk - Non Profit Other
Parcels - Zone Rate
Bound Printed Matter
Special Rate
Library Rate
USPS
Free for Blind/Handicapped
International
Registry
Certified
OPpref
240,437
66,163
90
3,423
836
40,602
1,942
0
790
53,230
8,524
433
2,980
14,286
64,214
684
19,041
3,211
2,437
1,219
515
4,331
1,238
4,992
517
0
0
0
0
43
516
536,694
1Platfnn
233,887
54,141
122
2,986
1,295
87,820
9,657
0
926
51,209
7,466
459
4,676
22,667
88,088
1,564
18,136
24,416
6,171
5,623
1,154
5,510
1,276
16.277
416
53
0
0
44
0
411
647,257
1POUCHN
1Sacks-h
181,209
42,597
373
2,731
1,616
26,827
2,694
0
235
17,921
3,700
349
1,834
5.039
49,607
390
7,424
2,141
920
1,025
944
2,276
794
9,916
229
0
0
0
0
0
235
363,035
Page 5 of 7
20,650
6,979
0
425
0
14,743
1,279
0
664
12,002
2,395
22
509
4,691
13,192
560
2,784
3,530
785
620
258
740
267
1.815
0
0
0
0
0
31
76
89.017
1Sacks-m
8,601
1.510
0
9
1
3,488
40
0
40
7.716
2,765
27
125
2,708
10,098
307
2,353
2,919
484
797
1
3
0
3,335
14
0
0
0
0
0
0
47,342
1SCAN
17,908
5,789
0
54
0
17,194
3,367
0
3
1,063
17
1
141
493
1,056
11
87
48
241
4
4
42
2
339
183
0
0
0
0
0
59
48,110
ISUPPORT
54.177
10,440
33
1,565
400
5,886
1,116
1
163
4,734
765
48
658
1,933
15,241
212
3,947
920
319
225
82
837
99
2,691
416
118
0
78
5
3
753
107,865
Total MODS
3.853.428
847,076
2,279
111,759
28,722
410,545
63,759
74
10,019
354.180
62,865
3,459
54,289
169.158
1,107,144
19,735
287,307
64,010
28,853
21,407
6,156
56,288
7,399
172,779
27,072
5.695
133
510
243
84
47,096
7,824,323
Attachment
Subdass or Spectal Service
1 - Respansa lo CCAAfSPS-TlZ-14
FY96 Votume-VartaMe Mail Pmcasslng Costs
Letter/card shape assignment correded
BMC cost Pools
OTHR
PtA
PSM
SPB
!HO
I
BSM
Total BMC
I
I
Non-MOOS
I
Letters and Parcels
Presort Letters and Parcels
Postal Cards
Private Mailing Cards
Presort Cards
Priority
m==
Mailgrams
Within County
Outside County - Regular
Olrlskle County - Non Pmfn
Oufside County - Cla.woom
Third Single Piece Rate
Bulk - Regular Carder Route
Bulk - Regular Other
Bulk - Nun Proffi Carrier Route
Bulk - Non PmfH Other
Parcels - Zone Rde
Bound Pdntad Matter
Special Rate
Library Rata
USPS
Free for ElindrHandicappad
International
1
2
0
0
0
83
0
0
0
503
2
2
70
415
4,377
65
536
8,250
1.308
1.066
1.215
039
1
887
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
19,642
4
1.948
0
0
93
0
599
0
0
20
3,720
856
414
4,208
5.437
42.940
658
7.149
23,992
9,133
9,737
1,951
1.008
595
10,622
to5
0
8
0
0
0
04
125.277
498
201
0
14
0
330
19
0
35
5,499
1,326
325
2,310
5,151
27,739
374
3.509
21.154
8,377
7.458
1,986
1.197
278
5,659
25
0
0
0
0
0
6
93,466
Pag66Of7
553
ct
0
0
0
343
0
0
0
118
2
0
2,311
677
23.113
75
1,352
12,329
10,500
15.570
2,332
377
560
5,434
0
0
0
0
0
0
43
75,898
942
605
0
0
0
79
0
0
27
1,522
571
8
1.812
I.871
23.165
141
4.338
3.752
1.318
1,917
315
518
455
3,393
36
0
0
0
0
0
0
46,583
110
108
0
0
0
1
0
0
12
4,545
727
113
383
2,679
11.829
124
1,813
3,529
815
1,422
353
205
0
1,719
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
30,488
4.051 I
.9171
0
107
0
1,436
19
0
95
15.906
3,483
863
10.893
16.230
133,164
1.437
18.696
73.005
31,450
37,199
8.151
4.145
1,889
27,715
166
0
8
0
0
0
1331
391,158j
794.125
2141438
935
24.847
7.707
65,920
20.558
0
5.045
91 .I08
14.265
1.311
12,912
80.272
299,550
7,710
80.700
19,634
12,908
8.471
1.758
17,070
726
6.461
14.973
12.789
630
1.307
0
115
28.806
1.827.648
I
Attachment
1 - Response lo OCAAJSPS-TIZ-14
FY96 Volum&IarlaMe
Mail Processing Costs
Letter/t
1 shape assignment mrreded
able 5
I
Subctass or Special Service
Letters and Parcels
Presort Letters and Parcels
Postal Cards
Private Mailing Cants
Presort CardsPriority
Expms
Mailgrams
Wnhin County
Outside Courtly - Regular
Outside County - Non Pmfn
Outside County - Classroom
Third Single Piece Rale
Bulk - Regular Carrier Route
Bulk - Regular Other
Bulk - Non Protit Canter Route
Bulk - Non Pmtil Other
Parcets - Zone Rate
Bound Printed Matter
Special Rate
Library Rate
USPS
Free for BlindMandicapped
ItMmational
&and Total
Cl
4,651$X4
I.063229
3,215
136,714
36.429
477,900
84,336
74
15,159
481.194
80.614
5,632
78.094
265.660
1.539.858
28,882
366,703
156,649
73,211
67.077
16,065
77,503
10,014
206.955
1;ll63:505
3,962
133.288
35,765
477,893
84.370
75
15,161
461.201
80.618
5,632
78.184
265.772
1540.108
28,895
366,726
156,650
73.210
67.078
16.065
77,944
10,022
266,773
422mj
18,484
771
1.817
243
199
78.0361
10.042.5291
Page7017
-0.03%
5.00%
2.57%
1.86%
O.W%
-0.04%
-1.33%
-0.01%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
-0.12%
-6.04%
-0.02%
-0.04%
-0.01%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.60%
-0.08%
0.09%
0.00%
-0.01%
0.00%
0.00%
6.00%
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%
Response of United States Postal Service Witness Degen
to Interrogatories of Office of the Consumer Advocate
OCAIUSPS-T12-15.
Please refer to lines 178-l 79 of program BMCl , H-23. These
lines contain the following SAS statement:
IF ‘B’<=F133<=‘E’ OR F133=‘M’ THEN HANDLING = ’ PC-CRD’;
ELSE HANDLING = ’ PC-LTR’;
a.
b.
Please explain why it is not necessary to check for values of F9635 for BMC
tallies in order to assign a value to the variable HANDLING.
Please confirm that this code will assign the value of ‘PC-LTR’ to the variable
HANDLING for all BMC single piece card tallies received after .June 30, 1996. If
you do not confirm, please explain how the value of HANDLING would be
assigned for activity code 1020 (F262=1020), F133=’ ‘, and F9635=‘B’.
OCAIUSPS-T12-15
Response.
a. The value of F9635 should be checked to properly deal with tallies; received after
June 30, 1996. Please see the response to OCAIUSPS-T12-14,
correction.
b. Confirmed.
part (d) for the
DECLARATION
I, Carl G. IDegen, declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing
answers
are true and correct,
and belief.
Date:
to the best of my knowledge,
information,
:’
/-
1 - 77
CERTIFICATE
OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that I have this day served the foregoing document upon all
participants of record in this proceeding in accordance with section 12 of the Rules
of Practice.
#CL-w
Susan M. Duchek
475 L’Enfant Plaza West, SW.
Washington, D.C. 20260-l 137
(202) 268-2990; Fax -5402
August 8, 1997