New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-25

m. ,netbods of letting the Star Route con-
ino ..h;cb have recently become National
..ndal are explained by TRIBUNE cor,1-
S son, list of the contractors lnegaiy
spyorea il given to the press. Senator plo""'
,s.s,,cb Georgia Republican, attempts Jus
..a..;on Of bs recent political action as agaihS.
. 1:.;.;e-ns of THE TRIBUNE. Comment anu
s,Iot;on have been caused at Washington
a,,resence there of several Republican candi-
dates for the Speakership OF 'iie hou'e
Representatives.
TIE MAIL CONTRACT EXPOSURES.
rruons py WHICH JcBBERs DEFEATED Hun
rsr ,,rx's BIps-ExpEDITIoN OF THE sEHNNh
,,v.pyD AS AN EXCUSE FOR INCREASED ''u'
rxo.1,oS-Tur RAPID ADVANCE OF Ihh IN
vEsTIGATiON.
Try TELEGRAPH TO TIE TRlDCNEi
,rsv,vornx April 24-Those who are coildu'F
L., ths investigation into the system oi letting 0'n
poute contracts assert that while much 'ia' nae
hsen nublshed has been incorrect ana Seiis"u
yet the Developments, when they are made' wiz y,
ouite as startling as the worst that mas oe9h ',u
st The facts are withheld for the present. Ph,S
becanse of the unwillingness OF the managers oi ~"
investigation to place a stain upon the eharac' "a
men who when all the facts are KnoWh' may t'V,o
10 have been merely ignorant OF the rasciy Vi 'n'
,,roceepcs in which they were in part the actors
and partly because the publication OF III 'na' 10
known might close the door to further Developments
Tho list of star routes together with the names Oh
.,e;r respective contractors which is gwen 10 'he
rsss to-day is supposed by the Department oihcias
a. oontain none IN respect TO which there has not
h,.n oorrupt manipulation TO increase the compen-
s.t;en 10 the contractor after the contract was
;ced In the bidding for these contracts, II Is as
,rtcd honest men had no chance for success where
the ring contractors chose to interest themselves
T1.e process NAV be illustrated by suppOsing that
ths advertisement required by law to be MADE De-
fore letting q contract calls for tr-weeky service
orer route of fifty miles in length to be let to the
lowest responsible bidder Jones, an honest man. and
Smith. iobber, are competitors for the contract
They each compute the expense to which they would
he mt and find it to be in the neighborhood OF
$4,000. Jones adds margin for profit, while
smith offers to perform the service for the sum
named or even less Smith is awarded the contract,
of course and Immediately sets about getting peti-
tions signed for an increase both in the frequency
Of his trips and the time within which the route
must be covered by each trip Signatures to petit
tons of this kind being manfcsty i'll the interest of
the people to be served easy to get and the in
auence of members of Congress TO the same end
NAV usually be commanded when the sigma
lures of the voters among their constituents are
uany The petitions and recommendations 20 pro-
cured are placed before the proper officials Of the
Department and form an apparent justification OF
the desired expedition" of the service. The time
required to be made over this supposed route leaves
m ample margin for expedition" two and three
fold without any material increase in the expense
and thus the increase in compensation may Toe made
almost entirely profit. There must be false swear
ing to secure such an increase for the law requires
the oath of the contractors in regard TO the addl
tional number of animals and wagons which will be
required for the expedited" service, and prohb-
its any increase of pay except in proportion to such
required increase of expense. This hypothetical
case it is asserted is type of many now under i'll
vestigation.
1t appears from opinions which have been rem
dered by Judge Freeman. the Assistant Attorney
General of the Post Office Department, that the ir
regular proceedings have been carried on in defiance
Of the law as interpreted by that official, and that
the plea that the law was defective and thus was
itself responsible for the condition of affairs will
not lie found tenable. When the subject was under
consideration by committee of the Senate, Jndgc
Freeman in response TO 4 request of the committee
for his opinion, wrote
II viii be observed that the law requires the service 10
be In proportion TO some extent, al least. 10 the pro-
duetiyeness OF the As early the 30h Of June
1870 Congress passed al act requiring the Posinas,
General to eporttt Congress any route which failed az
tu the second year 10 ducc revenue equal 10 one
third Of the expense OF carrying the mail IL would SEEM
s Increased rS demands for mail service ar.
ing after the making Of the contract, DE-
;s.i II wona hc the dniY ot The t
expedite ard increase the service provided always that
ise contingencies demanding this Increase could not
have been forcseen in making the original contract
sa me TACT thai no competition can bc allowed iol III
creased or expedited service would seem 20 constitute
sise except under circumstances imperatively demand
hight And even In this class OF cases II would
the better policy require the
least TO give him the discretion, to receive bids for
uerNeased or expedited service.
And again in a communication on the right of the
Department to consolidate roltes and then let them
ksrvice new routes without advertising Judge
fesInan used the following strong language:
Are We 10 presume that after the experience Of
mncreds OF years OF this and other Governments In the
Congress 10 dispense with advertisements IN awarding
public contracts lie there anything in this act 70 ndi
cate purpose the part Of Congress repeal that
sislaticn, the object Of which IN the Language OF the
supreme Court To notice OF he intended post
performance that tda.rsghi compete that favorftisn
snouia be preySnted that ce;celcy and economy in the
lis can be Gathered from the act Can the Postmaster
General deliberately fail and refuse to advertise
i,e when Wy Law Is made his duty tn advertise Il.
AID then put on temporary service without advertising
snna 10, n1t rs 10 the amount TO be paid on The
CURED to perform such ryce = Can he consolidate
sasse or Tour routes into one, call that "ncw route"
sna ,hen let the contract without advertisement II he
al 20 ths there L. 40 Limitation upon his power
Sl iacaiities, and over expenditures growing ont Of
conifacts NEGierUus decisions will be found
- S~ng The validity Of acts performed by public officers
e exercise OF dtscretiOn vested i them ny law.
sasee where that discretion has been abused The
s* tseif authorizes public oi,rrs In many
1srss contracts or purchases wiikDut advertise
3 Were public eXigcnces require II
49, Know OF no instance ia which 1t has
zen held that public officer had right himself
s.s ,nht very extgency which neccssit0fed the exer-
s extraordinary power. II s In vain that Con
ESss.ss .ss encountered the statute hooks with laws
6se-ahg h.ai routes and requiring the Postmaster
WITH the greatest particularly Of description,
~.6 esuse tbeso routes before making contracts for
~ transportation tseo Act OF May III 1881 II the
sassIaser General may alter them by dividing