New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-06-04
AT THE FEDERAL CAPITAL

siAR ROUTE INVESTIGATIONS STEADILY ADyANC-
NG-DoCUMENrARY EVIDENCE AGAINST Mr..
DORSEY - Suspicious AGAINST POST OTFICE
CLERKS.
fBY TELEGRAPH TO THE rRIBUSEI
WASHINGTON, June 3.-It is probable that there
will be trials in the Star Route before fall
and ii is possible that the cases will not be pro-
sented to the Grand Jury until September. Mean
while the Government officers earnestly at work
preparing the cases. Every day new points
are discovered, and the evidence to old points is
strengthened. To-day the Postmaster General re-
ceived from the West certified and Photographic
copies Of letters and kilograms sent by ex-senator
Dorsey to his agents in the West when he was ar
ranging his Star Route system as well as some Of
the originals. These are the documents upon which
this agent recently brought suit against Dorsey in
Colorado which was compromised. The officials
seem to think that these documents will do
much to make the case against Dorsey certain.
Ii is also claimed that the Post Office officials
have obtained some of the notes given for the pur-
chase OF weekly paper the notes showing that tho
paper purchased with money belonging to .
Star Route contractor. II remains to be seen how
ever, whether the fact that contractor chose to
vest money in a newspaper is proof that the news
paper was implicated in Star Ronte matters.
There is great uneasiness in every bureau of thu
OlIlcc department winch mas nau any relations
to any branch of the Star Route service The Post
masterGeneral and the officials prosecuting the
case are said to believe that good many of the
clerks have held improper relations in the past
with favored Star Route contractors, and many
clerks are under suspicion. but no evidence
haa yet been discovered to warrant their
removal. The clerks in the Contract
Office hitherto have had an extraordinary
and unwaTantable power The very arrangement Of
the offices in the Department building itself is aid
10 fraud. In some instances only two clerks
signed To small room, and in other cases a single
clerk has whole room These clerks are practi-
cally charged with recommending whether a service
shall be increased, expedited reduced. These
little rooms are treated by the clerks in many in
stances their private offices. and the business upon
which they are engaged in their business. It
has been the custom for years for the Star Route
contractors and their paid lobby agents in Washing
ten TO frequent these rooms, To visit the favored
clerks and Of them have been permitted to ex-
anime papers which il was to the detrimcnt Of the
Government, and to their own advantage, for them
10 see.
The new Assistant Postmastcr-Gcneral Elmer
thinks that this system is wrong, and that il offers
too many facilities and inducements for corrupt
connyance between ill-paid clerks and powerful
ntracors. lie thinks that the small rooms should
be abolished; that all the work should be done in
public, a. business IL transacted in banking or
Wholesale house that the clerks should not be per-
mitted under any circumstances in office hours, to
be approached by the contractors or their agents,
and at least should not be allowed to examine
papers. Under Mr.. Elmer's adminStrat on of that
office, the contractors will not find the Contract
Office so agreeable lounging place.
PostmaSter-General James said to-day that there
will he no more removals at present McCirew. the
removed Sixth Auditor. insists still that he did no
wrong that all he had 10 do To audit mail con-
tracts on the certificates of the Second Assistant
Po>tmastcr-tienera; that in the nature of things it
not possible for him To know whether those cer
tiicates we're properly issued not unless he had
the custody of the books Of the Second Assistant
Postmaster General