Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1878-03-29
now THE NATION Is swlNDLED.

ni,y 10 saw a word in commentator oil
them, we are only too anxious to em-
brace the chance when 1t is offered to
Us. The P~ostofice Committee. then. be
Il known, has succeeded in uncovering
O system OF fraud in tho execution OF
| Government contracts. which has been
in existence for years, and through
which. il is safe tn say. millions OF dol
lars have been transferred from the
United States Treasury to the pockets
Of wealthy contractors. for which no
service whatever has been returned. II
is only fair to say in connection with
this, that no blame whatever can be
attached to any OF our Postmaster Gen.
erals for the existence or success OF this
systsm Of thievsry. The law CON-
manded them to let the contracts for
carrying the mails to the lowest bid
der" aud II the lowest bidder has in
many instances proven to DO q mere
igurs-head OF fraud. the faithful eIeeu-
ton Of an imperative law can by no
means identify the Postmaster General
| with the swindle.
The investigations which have been
prosecuted for the last few months into
this matter have proven beyond adoubt
that in most instances the "lowest
bidder has been merely u wealthy bro
ker who acted a. q sort OF go-between
for the actual contractor who did the
service. and the Government which
paid for II. and the percentage in this
kind Of brokerage vas calculated Mt n
figure which would astonish the most
grasping OF our ordinary money
changers and lenders. An instance In
point Is that Of q contractor by the
name Of Adams who was examined by
the committee. He held one contract
for which the Government paid him
Sto,oVo year. iniS eou'i"e' Nv ""'
forced to admit that he sublet 10 the
man Who actually performed the ser
vice required. paying him therefor the
sum Of $4,000. and thus poekeune
himself the neat little brokerage Of
s25, 900 a year which the nation gave
him for tho honor OF calling himself "
contractor. ms Is oa' ono o
many cases which the committee ha'
unenrthei. and the aggregate amount
-. - ..,.-
lost 10 the uoVernuich' " 'ni' o"''
faced swindle swells into the millions.
v...,n,,o. .o,,.snonJspt writing
H""s'o. %
on this subject tells now the woik IN
dom. IT,. ssvs EVERY hid must be
III,
accompanied oya oohu S'sneu " A'"'"
party conditioned Tor the faithful per-
1900. =, Al. .or,,.., The profes.
-,
sionai mail contractor having Se'''s'
such a bond takes the list OF advertised
mail routes and slashes around like ,
drunken man at a fair. making bids on
every conceivable route in the list. CIV
ing the same identical bond. based ON
the same piece Of real estate. in every
case. Thus n piece Of land estimated at
$4,000. and worth perhaps $500. Is
made to serve as surety for q million
dollars or more" The correspondent
says
81 have known as high As 500 routes TO
oe o m ~ p hIS. NAN Who ovn,,l iu,t on.
tract Of land, estimated by him to be
worth the required sum Tor one Su'
aoiisrs' And MI. is no, an exceptional
case. either. wa approached by one Of
,no.e sen,y 'n' o.n aa, ,osn snS h.
wantei 10 put in some bids, and asked me
to become hi. surety.
Gu, .rv.,I LOT b,vn,, yeY A
graveyard 10, Is just "a good A. anything.
II Ia My = matter OF iorm'
These holders do not expect to fuifii
their contracts. They rele' al an ah'
vance to any one who will take H. IL
they TAI not do his they throw up Inc
contract. and!'he department s''es IL %
nett lowest o'dder. inen' " Tue
contractor happens 70 nave my o'ae'
u on ~h'eh ne's a'a"'ns p"', "'
department fetaihs' our d. MS SAiaiy'
enough 10 over The d'nerehee between
bis bid and the next above u on the
route thrown up IL ne uosen nap
pen TO Dc so situated 'hs department
pockets the loss, sae q 'n'hs AS suing
on the zone NOT oe'hs AnoNn e''ep' !"
'nso'!' "'1 ;"
'p s
ms surety "o"o'eu VI" MS oouu' w"
ing tacitly understood 'h"' u Is WORTH
less. somehmes uo-eon'rae'or sud-
denly gets Tired OF MS bargain ana Stops
carrying the mall 'neh becomes the
duty oil the postmaster where tue mail
Is droppeu 10 hou'y tue department