The Democratic advocate., 1881-03-26
The Star Service Jobbers.

| soon AFTER congress Hiet III D7'NSHi"Si
| 1880, the Postmaster-General sent IN a
communication asking for deficiency OF
| $4,000 1000 for this star service, to which
no allusion had been made in his regular
report
That demand led to an investigation,
and it was found that Brady, who makes
the mail contracts, had expended nearly
the whole appropriation intended for the
4 wear. aud entered into contracts involving
a million and three,quarters in addition
thereto. He did this in fragrant violation
! of section 3.679 of the Revised Statutes :
'.No department of the Government shall
| expend in any one fiscal year any sum IN eX-
I cess of appropriations made by Congress tor
/ that fiscal year, or involve the Government in
( any contract for the future payment OF money
/ in excess of such appropriations.
I And this was not all. When Brady
/ found his corrupt extravagauce was to be
resisted. be had an order issued by the de
partment notifying every star service con-
tractor that one trip per week should be
the limit of his service. The effect OF
/ that order. il executed, would have been
to disturb the mails in every State and
/ Territory, not transported on railroads or
by steamboats, The intention was to
eoerce Congress into additional appropria
tions for the jobs of the Second Assistant
+ Postmaster General and his associates.
1t was proven before the investigating
committee that on twelve routes in the
most distant States and Territories-eight
of them in Territories-the service had
been increased from S24S ,326 to 81, ,lS3,-
3l6Ig. All these routes were the far
thest removed from observation, and there
fore were the most easily handled by col
lusion, there being only very limited
population on any of them. Take as spec
imcus the Tinita and Las Vegas route in
the Indian Territory, which Brady raised
from $4,000 to Slj0, ,592.03, or the Bis
marck and Fort keogh route in Dakota
Territory, which he raised from $3.50 TO
$1,000 per anuum,
Now as to his methods The route be-
tween Prescott, Arizona, and Santa Fe,
New Mexico. was let to George l.. Nc
Donough. With a service of three times
week. TO tegin October, 1878. and to eud
June 30, 1ss3. for SI3,3l3 per annum,
Kirk aud Gleason being his securities
Two DAYS after the contract was made,
Brady ordered the service increased to four
trips per week, with an increase Of pay Of
sl7.750 10 for the single additional trip,
making together S3l U63l6. Ga the
same day the service was expedited that
is 90 say. the runniu. time was reduced
from one hundred aud fifty hours to ninety
hours, for which an extra allowance Of
S43, ,ls6 81 year was made.
Thus, inside Of two days, aud before the
contract went out Of the office, !, was put
up FROM Sl3.3l3 to ST45jO. Go the 29th
OF November. inside Of two months, Me
Douough notified the department that he
had sublet the contract to John \ Walsh,
Of Washington, at go $50 per auuum,
the price be himself was receiving, la
the beginning Of 1879 frequent complaints
were made that the service was badly per
formed aud the surcgies Of MeDOuough
demanded that he should DC declared
failed contractor. aud offered 10 take the
route on the terms lowed him by the de-
par,mcn,, in order TO protect themselves,
Brady made au order, dated March IL
1879 - suspend the pay of contractor
aud sub contractor on this route. lie
knew fran Mcl'ououghs notification that
Walsh, IS sub bcuutractor, vas the dcliu-
gaent person. On that same day be or
dercd the route restored to the original
price Of Sl3.3lS per anuum, aud asked
the surclies Of McDonough to take il on
those terms, with full knowiedgc that
the proposition was absurd Ills real OBJ
jcct, as the sequel revealed, was to get them
out OF the way
4 month later Brad, made new con.
grac, with John \. Walsh for the remain
der Of shc term, from April IL, 1879, to
Juue 80 lSs2, At SIS 500 per year. On
The llth Of March, 1879. be had suspend
cd bis pay ss McDonoush's sab-consraetor
on the sane route. April Il, 1879, he
removed suspension Of pay Of Sab Con
tractor John \ Walsh without assigning
any reason. For some mysterious cause
Sab Contractor Walsh had risen 20 favor.
On the lDth Of Jaly following Brady re-
daccd the service from $50 TO 90 boars,
and allowed y alsh $50 .77j additional pay,
raising j; to S5S ,255 per anaum. The
same day the service was increased TO four
trips week, with an additional allowance
Of SIS ZOO. making in al sl36,9T5 per
annum.
IL thus appears tha, this contract, which
began at sl3,3l3, was raised To S74 $50
under McDonough, with four trips wesk
aud ninety hours Of service His bonds
men offered 10 take the contract when
Walsh, the sub contractor. failed 10 per.
form it. Brady rejected their proposal
aud drove them of. Then be brought 10
Walsh, who had forfeited the contract,
started anew, aud ended by giving him
Sl36, 91j year for carrying the mails over
the same route in four trips aud
aiueiy six hours whereas the McDonough
contract was for four trips aud ninety
hours at s74,550
The committee asked Brady
Odd rou have anything on whieh to
predicate your action IA allowing that SIS, 5C0
additional pay except Mr.. Walsh's statement
A--liis swsrH statement
"Q-Nas that the only Information that you
had on which to predicate The action A
That aud the iac, that we had sought 10 have
Ihe service performed al less rate before and
failed IN Il.
"Q-Taea his sworn statement was what
you relied upou? A-That was what prin-
cipally relied upon,
"Q-While you were IA the Government em-
ployment at New Orleans did you know Walsh
thereg Al did.
"Q-Was he not indicted ON your own testi
mony for frauds on the iRlernAl revenue 4
Il had him indicted for failing TO produce
bis books as a distilier
"Q-Asd yet, on his ewu sworn staiemen,
alone, YOU granted him an increase Of pay to (
the amount Of So. 600 in excess of the price
allowed to his predecessor for the same ser
vice A-0n hrs own stat ment, aud for the
reason that | could not get the service per
formed for any less. The securities of Nc
pouough had offered to take il At his contract
price.
"Q-Did you cfer that service on that
route at the rate of S7I, ,O00 a year to anybody I.
else except TO Mr.. Walsh Al think not. /
The committee then examined George
f. Kirk, one OF the boudsmen of MELON I
ough, as to the value of the contract
"Q-And you say that in your judgement,
AS a business man connected with the enter
y,risa u eonld have baan carried m at a profit :