Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-07-10

IN the report oil tne ora oil march
1884, Doc. 1888, p. 1891 they are stated
to be contractors for carrying the mail on
the same routes, and, in addition thereto,
| from Washington TO Wheeling in Vir-
ginia, (which is also covered by the con-
tract of Stockton and Neil, at an annu.
al compensation of 1900
On the 9th Of May, 1888. there
/ was made on this route yearly
extra allowance from April l.,
1882. of 10000
And there was ordered an express
| mail on the same route. 10 be run
| by James Reside. from Pbiadel-
phia TO Pittsburgh, at yearly
| allowance of $3.50
Increasing the compensation on -
this route from IS $50, yearly,
| TO 40,I50
The above are but few out Of the
many contracts held by James Reside
and others, his partners. The allowances
| in the above cases, beyond the amount of
| their open bids and fair and legal con-
| tracts is 62,3l6 dollars and rs cents a
| year; amounting. during the continuance
Of their contracts, TO the enormous sum of
249 ,267, dollars and IL cents, given to
these contractors by the department, with
out advertising and without competition
The amount Of these allowances were
! somewhat reduced on the LIST Of Deem
Der last, in consequence of the insolvency
of the degaEtm<iit,
II viii Sficed in these and many
similar cases favored contracts, that,
where they are concerned, competition is
absolutely put down, and the notice pub
lished pursuant t. law, inviting competi-
lion and the public biddings, are but mere
masks 10 cover their secret transactions.
The route is not advertised as it is to he
run, and before it is put into operation,
some improvement, generally COMFORTING
with an alternative proposition in the bid,
is ordered, and the original contract is
merged and lost in the improvement. The
compensation agreed 20 by the legal con-
tract, is in some instances, so insignifi
cant, that it is hardly worth adding in as
an item in the aggregate allowance
But il has not been thought necessary,
in all cases, to preserve even the cover of
Increased services, as an excuse for these
extra allowances. The 10000 dollars
yearly allowed to Reside & Saymaker,
| on the route from Philadelphia TO Pitts
hurgh. is wholly without this apology.
| The allowance was for haidships incurred
| in the performance Of stipulated service,
not for any thing done which their con-
tract did not require of them The whole
hardship, too, as proved by the testimony
of Reside, was this: The mail was SO
heavy for three of their trips weekly, as
TO prevent their taking in a full load Of
passengers on those trips; by which twould
seem that the department, after paying
| for the transportation Of the mail on this
route, something more than $4,000 dol
lars, was also held bound to pay the con-
tractor extra for whatever expense and
inconvenience the transportation of the
mail might occasion him. Or rather, to
| give the transaction its true character,
this ten thousand dollars year was a
gift, out Of the funds of the department,
10 these contractors; and there are some
further circumstances attending il, which,
on the most careful inquiry by your COM
mittee, are not satisfactorily explained.
] The evidence shows that Reside &
Slaymaker represent two companies which
share equally in the profit and loss on this
line The money accruing for transport
alton, is received by Reside s. Stay
maker, moety each. and distributed by
them to their respective companies. This
extra allowance of ten thousand dollars
was received by them on the 9Th Of May,
1888, and no part of it has yet been paid
over by either Of them to their partners,
or entered upon any account book of the
companies. Reside, on his examination,
! tLat 10 hal kac q,
pay some old debts Of the companies
which they supposed had been provided
for, but which we're unexpectedly found
TO exceed the sum appropriated for their
payment; but being specially interrogated,
he stated, that this unexpected deficit did
not exceed five thousand dollars in the
whole, and that il was not discovered to
exist until about three months after the
first ten thousand dollars of this extra
allowance was received by him and Stay
maker-the whole amount so received and
so retained by them, on this account, APP
pears to have been sixteen thousand, ely
hundred and sixty six dollars, sixty Sly
: and two third cents. The allowance o.
this money and its application are alike
, remarkable. There were also certain pc
cuniary transactions of a private nature
between these contractors and some of tho
officers of the department, which came
under the notice Of your committee
which, in their opinion, merit considera
!; ton.
, Some time ip the year 1892, 0. b
Brown applied to Slaymaker for small
J loan of money, $500 which Slaymake
r accordingly lent him, but took no note
! and made no memorandum CT the trans
action, ,cl.ieh took place IN the presence
no one bat themselves At another time Mr.
Brown asked Slaymaker If he could lem
him three thousand dollars, at the usus
4 rate Of interest. This also was promised
and some time after about the first q