OTHER NEWS - March 6, 1996

Postal Service to Reorder Mail Class System: The U.S. Postal Service is reordering classifications for the first time in more than 100 years and lowering rates for businesses that automate. First-class letters still will cost 32 cents. Starting July 1, express mail will be known as expedited mail, second-class as periodicals, and third- and fourth-class as standard mail. First-class rates will drop a penny per piece for businesses that sort mail by city, designated by the first three digits of a ZIP Code. The reduction is 2 cents for businesses that offer bar-coded and carrier-route sorted mail using five digits. Priority and express mail rates will be unaffected.