River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1881-12-08

r
Evidence Is now in our possession to
show that the contractor wrote to his
sub-contractor to see the unappreci =
tive pioneer and satisfy him, saying he
had already paid him $50 to keep quiz
ct, and that he knew the fellow was
only kicking in order to get more
money
A MAIL ROUTE WITHOUT LETTERS.
There was another route in the
Northwest over which not one letter
was carried. A pouch went to and fro
with only a solitary circular in it, till
both were nearly worn out.
Mr.. Gibson, makes fifteen different
counts for arraigning the thieves as
follows:
FirSt-That in advertising for propo-
sails to transport the mail on Star routes
in the Pacific contract section, it was
less than it was pretended the needs of
the country required Immediately af.
ter the service began.
Second-That the schedule time on
the star routes was Systematically
made lenger in advertisements than it
was pretended, imm ediately after the
service began, the needs of the country
demanded.
ThirG-That star routes were adver-
tised to be longer than they really
were.
Fourth-That star routes have been
advertised to be shorter than they
really were.
Fjfth--That this system in the man.
ner described in propositions first,
second, third and fourth, was a step
taken whereby few contractors OBJ
tanned control OF more than 400 routes
at very low pay, aud then, by means of
extra allowance. made in violation of
law, got the pay, of the same increased
by the addition of trips, the expedition
of the schedule and increased distance,
until three, four FIVE, six and even
seven times the original contract price
was paid.
Si1th-That by advertising routes
longer than they were, an expedition
of the schedule thereon required less
expenditure by the contractors to per-
form the increased service.
Seventh That routes being adver-
tised shorter than they actually were
enabled contractors after getting pay
for these routes enormously increased
by trips added and schedules expedited,
to obtain on one pretext or another
plo rata paw for the increased dis
lance.
OPENING THE DOOR TO STRAW BIDS.
Eighh-The system required the
contractors who obtained routes at
small pay to give proportionately less
bonds, which are not REQUIRED to be
increased in proportion as the pay was
increased by extra allowances for addi-
tional trips, expedited schedules and
increased distance; that this opened
the door to straw bidding and men,
who were VIGOROUSLY dummies, habit
ually appeared as bidders, and as cir
cumstances required, became failing
bidders and failing contractors, or re-
manned and sublet to their principals
just as they failed or succeeded in get
ting the pay of the routes increased;
that the bondsmen of these dummies
were always worthless, and no effort
was ever made to punish the men be-
hind them.
Nint-That in giving out tempo
rary service few contractors received
all the benefits at high rates of pay,
and, in some instances, these tempo
rary contractors have been extended
from time to time.
Tenth-In many instances contractors
Iax,a hoo,, cv,F,rad an yNnrfinnS nf tho
routes, to perform the service and to
omit the service in violation of the
contracts whereby they profited large
ly.
IRREGULAR AND ILLEGAL CONTRACTS.
Eleyenth-That contracts have been
awarded on proposals manifestly and
confessedly irregular and illegal, on the
plea that great saving was thereby to
be made, and within few days or a
month after the service began the pay
on the routes thus let increased many
fold.
TweLM-Contracts have been award
ed to certain contractors on illegal pro-
posals, and at the same letting con-
tracts we're not awarded on proposals
having precisely the same defects, the
department holding that the proposals
were illegal, when the identical defects
were in other cases held not to be suf-
ficient to justify rejection.
teenth-Hundreds of contracts
have been awarded on proposals with
the bondsmen VIGOROUSLY worthless
and the contracts executed with the
sureties known to be frauds.
FOurteehth-That in making extra al
lowances, Second Assistant Postmaster
General Brady reversed the practice Of
the Department, which had rarely, i
ever, been departed from during more
than fifty years, and violated the spirit
of the law by accepting as sufficient the
statements of the contractors as to the
cost of performing the additional ser
vice.
Fjteenh-There has been inefficiency
and dereliction of duty, and still gravel
official Shortcomings in the administra
ton of the Sixth Auditors Office; tha
the gross abuses and manifest corrup
tons in the conduct of the contrac
office of the PosJoffice Department o.
the past would have been impossible
had the Auditor of the Treasury for tht
Postotfice Department vigorously exc
cuted the law with an honest purpose
to correct glaring wrongs and bring t(
Justice notorious evil-doers.
Esquimaux Morals and Beauty.
Correspondence New York Herald
Speaking of amusements suggests
the latest acquired civilized vice among
the Esquimaux-card-p playing VIII cf