LSAT - CR (Postal Services)

[apoorva_srivastva]

The postal service is badly mismanaged. Forty years ago, first-class letter delivery cost only three cents. Since then, the price has increased nearly tenfold, with an actual decrease in the speed and reliability of service.
Each of the following statements, if true, would tend to weaken the argument above EXCEPT:
(A) The volume of mail handled by the postal service has increased dramatically over the last forty years.
(B) Unprecedented increases in the cost of fuel for trucks and planes have put severe upward pressures on postal delivery costs.
(C) Private delivery services usually charge more than does the postal service for comparable delivery charges.
(D) The average delivery time for a first-class letter four decades ago was actually slightly longer than it is today.
(E) The average level of consumer prices overall has increased more than 300 percent over the last forty years.

[thoughtrunner]

c. private delivery service prices are irrelevant to the mismanagement of the postal service. the answer should have something to do with general inflation or the postal service's costs/performance

[RonPurewal]

c. private delivery service prices are irrelevant to the mismanagement of the postal service. the answer should have something to do with general inflation or the postal service's costs/performance

yes. well played.

[kewlkam]

Hi Ron,
Could you let me know why the OA cannot be E?

Conclusion: The postal service is badly mismanaged.

The option E says that other prices has increased by 3 times, whereas Postal service prices has increased by 10 times which strengthens the conclusion

Please advise

Thanks!

[tim]

We’re going to need a source on this problem before going any further, mainly to check on the exact wording of the question. I am at least confident that this isn’t an LSAT question based on the style of the question itself, but there are some wording issues I’m suspicious of and would like to check on myself before discussing this question..