RPTR CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF COMPANY EFFORT TO MAINTAIN FULLY FUNCTIONING AUTOPLT.

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UPON INSPECTION OF ACFT LOGBOOK; FOUND ALT. HOLD CAPABILITY OF AUTOPLT WAS INOP AND HAD BEEN FOR AT LEAST 2 DAYS. FURTHER RESEARCH REVEALED AUTOPLT HAD A HISTORY OF PROBS. TALKED WITH STATION MGR; HE SAID EVERYTHING THAT WAS A REMOVE AND REPLACE ITEM HAD BEEN DURING THE PREVIOUS TROUBLE-SHOOTING. THE PRINTOUT INDICATED THAT THE ACFT NEEDED TO HAVE THE PITOT STATIC SYS CHKED. FILED A RPT WITH COMPANY AND PLTS ORG-X STATING THAT THIS WAS A SAFETY ISSUE. EVEN THOUGH IT WAS 'LEGAL' TO FLY THE ACFT. THIS INCREASED WORKLOAD DUE TO THE REQUIREMENT TO MANUALLY MAINTAIN ALT IN CRUISE WAS BAD ENOUGH. FORTUNATELY; WE WERE VMC FOR MOST OF THE 2 LEGS WE FLEW AND THERE WAS NO EXCESS MANEUVERING SUCH AS HOLDING. IT IS ALSO FORTUNATE THAT THIS WAS OUR FIRST LEGS OF A SCHEDULED 12 HR DAY RATHER THAN THE LAST 2 WHICH WERE AT NIGHT WITH MIXED VMC/IMC. THIS TYPE OF PRACTICE PROVES THAT THE EXTREME 'COST CUTTING' PROGRAM THAT THIS COMPANY IS HELL BENT ON PLACING MONEY ABOVE SAFETY. A PLANE SHOULD NOT BE FLYING AROUND WITH AN AUTOPLT THAT CAN'T HOLD ALT ESPECIALLY WHEN IT HAD FLOWN THROUGH MAINT STATIONS.