New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-07

of all these bids he secured 102 contracts-an OF
which still in operation. and most of them nav
ing two or three years to run-requiring bonds IN
the total sum of $s0,305
From what has been shown regarding the char
acter of his sureties it will be seen that in case
Boone should fail in the performance Of any of his
later and most important contracts the department
would have no protection his suretIes are worth
less.
Samuel G. Cahell was a member of the combina-
tion of which Albert +. Boone was the chief drec-
tor and general manager. The total numberof
Cabel's bids under the several advertisements of
Nav 10 and November l, 1879. October 15 1880,
and March TO- 1881 was 0,217 The aggregate of the
bonds that accompanied these proposals amounted
to So $1,000. Cabell secured in all 1OS contracts
requiring bonds in the total sum of $4,000 All ot
these contracts are now in operation, and the De
partment is totally without protection in the event
of failure to perform service as the sureties have
no property whatever The grand result OF the
operations Of Boone and his combination may be
summed up as follows: Total number OF Dlds'
1910: aggregate OF bonds accompanying pro-
posals SIS. .OS4 542; total number of contracts Sc
cured 296 total amount OF bonds required with
contracts. $202.905.
IRRESPONSIBLE AND WORTHLESS sUEETIEs.
With the exception of three or four persons who
entered as sureties for Boone under the advertise
ment of November l, 1877. the sureties on all OF
the service now in operation under contracts with
Boone. Buck. Cabeli, Henderson and Armstrong are
irresponsible and totally incompetent and IN re-
spect to every contract awarded to either of the
above named persons under the advertisement of
May o, 1873. and all sui sequent advertisements,
the department is absolutely without protection in
the event of failure to perform the required service
A large number of these worthless bonds We're GER
.fs..ll | IN fgr q
d. &. In some instances. MyrOn VI. Parker, ASSIST
ant postmaster made ont the certificate signing
Aingers name as postmaster ana ms own as ASSIST
ant postmaster. lie also signed as surely on num-
ber of proposals of John X, Miner, contrary 10
the law forblddn' such action on the part
OF employees of the Post Office Department
With reference TO MesSTS. Anger and Parker the
report saws: " In view of the stringency of the
law relating to suretes OIL mail contract bonds ana
tho special importance of the duty devolvlng on
postmastcrS in approving thereof, we are unable TO
suppress our astOuishment at the course pursued py
the Postmaster and Assistant Postmaster at wash
ington d. C.. The certificates responsibility gwen
by them were in direct violation OF section oo|
Of the postal law of 1879, as will appear
from the affidavts of the postmaster and his assist
ant. More than that the certificates were given
urOn the assurance and pledges of Albert r. Boone,
John r. Miner, James b. ColegrOvo and Samuel G
berry, and the very men, above all others, against
whose Vaccinations the postmaster and his assist
ant should have been on their guard.
" The only reasons gwen by Anger and Iafker IN
explanation of their action in granting irregular
certificates are that proposals were accompanied by
a certified check of the bidder and that the pro-
posed sureties had the Endorsement of Brady and
French. In this matter we are constrained to pc
leve that they were easily imposed on and led
such transparent excuse OF q great wrong as eyc
dcnce of corruption. Through neglect OF
duty of the Postmaster at Wash
ington and his assistant, the Department has
awarded a great many contracts, some OF which
cover important service, requiring bonds IN many
thousands of dollars, whose surees are absolutely
and in cons
failure TO perform the service, the Department
would DE without any protection Whatever against
possible damage"
With regard to the part taken by certain notaries
public of Washington in the. execution OF these
straw bonds, the inspectors say; III ls matlerol
much Importance 10 understand the manner III
which some of the nOtaTies public OF Washington
conduct the business of their Office relating TO the
administration of oaths Daring Investigations
have discovered grave VIOLATIONS OF the law in
!. [ttrfh"h and George F. Graham notaries public
of the city. The evidence seems plain that these
officers acted iii utter disregard OF the spirit OF the
law, and were mere cOnyenlences upon whom Boone;
Miner Buck, Cabell and Others relied for ready anu
needful assistance in perfecting the schemes de
signed to impose upon the Post Office Department
and the public"
the tact that the Department has no protection
whatever for the service now under contract 10
Boone and the members of the combination IT seems
but reasonable that measures should be adopted 10
prevent further imposition on their part, aud We,
therefore, respectfully suggest that the most enec
tldI means IOf inc 1CCOiupHSJlluClll
would be the institution of criminal proceed
ings against all the parties on account OF the
Violations OF law committed by them i'll
obtaining the contracts at present in operation.
The developments of our own investigations
and those of other inspectors of this Department on
the subject of mail contract bonds, are OF such
character as to warrant us in recommending that
some change he made IN the manner OF procuring
the certificates of ability and responsibility Vi
suTetics.
at present such certificates are furnished by
postmascrs, but we respectfully recommend that
hereafter certificates of eAonsbity OF sureties on
contractors and bidders bonds he required and
made under seal of office by officers III charge OF the
records of the property described III the bonds"