Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-05-13
The Postal Ring.
How the Government is systematically
Swindled.

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WASHINGTON, April 24.-In con
nection with the alleged Star route
irregularities a tabulated statement
has been made, showing the man
ipulation of ninety-three of these
routes, the total number being 1925
whereby the annual pay of the nine
ty-three routes was raised between
the lettings of 1873 and January l
1880, from S727, ,119 to S2,802, pa
the increase being S2,075, ,095.
The regular appropriation for the
Star route service for the year end
ing June 80, 1880, was S5, 200, 900
and deducting from this the amount
absorbed by the ninety-three routes
mentioned, there is left of the appro-
priation only S. ,O97 ,7S6 for the re-
naming 8, 1872 routes.
1t is interesting in view of the in
vestigation ROW going on relative to
the corruption in the mail service, to
recall Just how the b" steals" were
manipulated. 1t can be stated in Il
very few words. The chief " steal
was by means of what is called Z" in
creasing the service" that is, having
additional mail trips ordered at a
regul II increase of pay based cn the
amount paid for one trip. The Ring
composed of the real executive Of
ticer of the post Office department,
contract and advertising clerks, and
tho contractors, plainly had every
thing their own way, except that a
Congress to which they must apply
for a new appropriation to make up
the amount stolen might become
suspicious and investigate them. In
the case of Brady, Democratic
Congress did that very thing, and
paved the way for what is expound-
ed upon as a great Republican effort
at reform.
The advertisements are published
in u pamphlet, which circulate chief
ly among the ring men. The Of
fees on the route are given, as are
also the distance, time of arrival and
departure, and the number of trips
per week. 1t was the object of the
ring to have the number OF trips on
any given route reduced in the ad-
vertisement to one trip per week to
ward off competition, we'll knowing
that once having obtained the con-
tract they could, by the mere scratch
of the Postmaster Generals, or rath-
er Brady's pen, have the service in
creased and the pay doubled or treb-
led. Outside bidders, ignorant of
the country and not in the secrets OF
the ring, were not disposed to risk
their capital under n contract for but
one trip n week, except at rate
which carried them above CJmpeti-
ton with the ring. But suppose an
outsider should assume the risk and
obtain Tie contract at one trip per
week, then indeed would he feel the
power of the monopoly. He would
in vain attempt to procure an IN
crease o. service. The performance
of his contract would be watched
with the untiring vigilance of cupid
ity and malice, and he would find
himself so subject to distractions
and fines that he would finally be
glad to sell out his contract. The
ring would invariably secure it, and
immediately fines would cease, and
in few days increase trips would
be required at the increased pay. In
some instances, when the necessity
for the route itself was altogether
doubtful, it has been thus trebled.
Penalties for default on the favorite
contractor, when default is reported
at all. in the shape of fines and de-
ductions, are seldom visited; and,
when visited, speedily remitted, ex-
cept perhaps i'll IL nominal sum for
the sake of appearance, while the
honest contractor is held 10 riSor-
Gus accountability. The ring con-
tractors account is marked "specl-
al" and take precedence in settle
ment, while the required certificates
of service from the postmasters ut
terniini are often forged in Washing
ton aud presented as from New Mex
leo or Colorado with the ink upon
them scalcely dry. Sometimes the
trips are made, but chiefly there is
only q pretense Of trip, and often
none at all. The service is usually
confined to distant Territories where
there is seldom any use for mail SER
vice. On twelve of these contracts
located in Texas, New Mexico, Da-
kota, Wyoming, Arizona, Oregon
and other far western districts, the
original pay of $40, ,296 was in,
creased to S1,1S4, ,2S6, though the
distance on the routes was increased
in only four instances and actually
decreased in two.
OF course there were deficiency
appropriation required to make up
the waste, but when n Democratic
Congress was in session there was
considerable apprehension on the