11.   Postmaster General William J. Henderson told the House Government Reform Committee on Wednesday that the poor economy and declining mail volume had hit the agency hard.

12.   At the same time, mail volume has dropped because of the poor economy, further reducing anticipated income.

13.   But overall mail volume has increased.

14.   In addition to the loss of income from the scaled-back rates, the agency also faces a decline in mail volume.

15.   The postmaster said first-class mail volume dropped for the first time in years during the holiday season.

16.   The struggling national economy has reduced expected mail volume, postal chief financial officer Richard J. Strasser said Tuesday.

17.   The struggling national economy has reduced expected mail volume, postal chief financial officer Richard J. Strasser said today.

18.   There also has been a drop in mail volume because of the poor economy, further reducing anticipated income.

19.   Mail volumes have fallen as the economy has slowed, and have also been hit by the increased use of e-mail and mobile text messaging.