The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-01-19

: tween Santa Fe, New Mexico, and Prescott
Arizona, the question was again put I
General Brady whetherWalsh as sub.con
tractor, did not receive from the Sixth Au
a ditor payment In the neighborhood Q
$1,000 on his (Brady's) certificate whei
he Walsh was at the time indebted to tn
Government on other contracts.
General Brady, to several modifiet
u forms OF the question, reiterated that tn
matter OF payment rested entirely will
the Auditor; his (Brady's) duty was sim
ply 10 notify the Auditor, when the con
tractor failed to perform his contracts, Il
q suspend payments, and also 10 certii,
when the service was duly and properly
J performed. The Postoflice department
z did not recognize the liability OF sub.con
9 tractors in the case OF failure, but con
a tractors were held responsible; sub.con
), tractors were recognized simply to pro
tect them in securing their pay when the
:: service was properly performed. The
chairman insisted that he had not derived
: direct answer to the question, yes or no
whether the amount stated was due the
: Governmental the time that he Brady
: made the certificate to the Sixth Auditor
on which payment was made 10 Walsh.
/, General Brady-1 have explained as
fully as can.
Chairman-As fully as you mean 10.
: Question-ls 1t not fact that McDon.
ougb bad number OF contracts, on sew
eral OF which Walsh was sub.contractor;
; McDonough was failing contractor, and
his pay was suspended on more than one
route; subsequently on proofs made, the
order OF suspension was removed on some
OF them, and amount OF service performed
was certified 10 the Sixth Auditor? Was
it not then the duty OF the Auditor TO as.
certain what was due TO the contractor;
also to ascertain il lie owed the Govern:
ment, and strike the balance before pay
ing him?
Answer-I think the practice under the
Auditor's construction OF the sub.contract-
or law, is TO pay the sub-contractor, no
matter II the contractor be behind on any
other contract.
General Brady read from the Postal Law
bearing upon the system.
Question-Does the Sixth Auditor make
settlements with contractors without sug.
gestion from the Postoflice Department?
Answer-We merely certify forms Of
service. Questions Of payment are en-
tirely within the discretion OF the Auditor.
+ QUESTIONABLE we, then, TO understand
that the sub'contractor on dozen routes
could secure his full pay for service per-
formed on the one route, though there
was an Indebtedness to the government
for utter failure to perform contracts upon
the remaining eleyen?
Answer think the Auditor so con-
strues 1t. know should for the good OF
the service.
How the good Of the service could be
subserved, and what recourse the govern.
lnent could have in such contingency,
were matters upon which the committee
expressed their ignorance.
General Brady then produced the form
OF bonds required Of contractors, and ex-
planned that tho government has recourse
upon the bonds in case OF failure 10 per-
form the contract. But the usual practice
was to compromise with contractors upon
their paying the additional amount, over
aud above their contract, which the gov
ernment might be compelled to pay TO se-
cure the service which they had failed 10
perform. 7
General Drady stated, in response to
questions, that the reduction suggested in
tho star service TO enable kim TO run II
through the year, with half OF the defc.
iency appropriations OF S5l6, 500 would So
riously affect routes throughout the West,
Louisina and Texas.
Question the Postmaster General
apprised OF the rate at which the Star ser.
vice was being run2
A. lie was. The subject was frequent
ly discussed between US. He knew, as I
did, it would result in building up the
service considerably above the estimates.
| q Why was Congress, on the lst OF
December, confronted with u deficiency OF
$l50,000, and within a week thereafter
asked to make deficiency appropriation
OF s.. 100000? Why was the attention OF
Congress not called Immediately TO this
prospective deficiency through the
medium Of your annual report?
A. 1t is matter OF my discretion what
shall put into my report. Iconsulted with
the Postmaster General, and we conclud-
ed it@ould be better ID present the matter
to Congress in special letter. We simply
thought it the better plan. The letter was
dated the 9th oil December; certainly not a
very great delay.
@. Is there any authority in the Post
Office Department TO create a deficiency
that is not likewise conferred on all de-
partments?
A.. No deficiency has been created, with
the exception OF the small amounts OF
$780, 900. The deficiency OF S1,700000 is
entirely prospective.
| @. Suppose you should so run the
service that the appropriation would be
entirely expended In ninety days. Could
you not in fact spend Il all 10 thirty days;
would you have authority TO do Sc?
A. Yes, have authority to do SO, but
it would be very bad management.
q. Then Is 1t good management to run
the service so that the country will be
entirely without the service for the
balance OF tho year unless Congress steps
in and makes the appropriation you see at
10 make necessary
A. l believe have managed the thing
very we'll.
Q. Which is the superior power In de-
termining the amount OF money that shall
be appropriated, you or Congress2
A. Congress, most assuredly. do not
think have been lacking in respect for
Congress. have had every reason TO be-
lieve my action would he sustained by
Congress.
General Brady was asked il he had
thought II necessary TO run the service on
such basis as, il continued through the
year, would create deficiency OF so, ,000,.
900 instead OF s, 900, 900, would he do It?
: The General replied: 81 would simply
go on and do 1t, and take the conse-
Quences.n
; General Brady stated scarcely day
passed that some Congressman did not ap'
peal to him for an increase OF the service
He declined, however, to give names.
, The committee spent an hour in secret
, session, then adjourned until Tuesday.
Accident on tho Cleveland aud Pitts
burgh Road.
; CLEVELAND, January 17.-This morn
: ing there was railroad smash.up on thu