The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-03-17
BRADY, BLISS AND WILEY.
Continuation of the Cross-Examina-
ton of the Ex-Second Assistant.
Brady Regarded the Deficiency Appropria-
ton as an Approval by Congress-A
Bitter Attack by Merrick.


again took the witness stand and was further
cross-examined by Mr.. Bliss. He did not
remember that any ~incongruity in Miners
affidavit on the Tongue-river route had at
tracted his attention. The witness described
the method of preparing advertisements for
the letting of miscellaneous service. The
temporary contracts originally ran for six
months, but the term was afterward ex-
tended to one year. A contract might have
been discontinued on an order to
put on better service, and for other
reasons; the power of the Second Assistant
in that respect was broad, but in all cases
except where service was discontinued for
cause, such as failure to perform the service,
1t was a requirement of law that the con
tractor be allowed one months extra pay.
The witness could not remember whether or
not the practice of posting bulletins of tenn
porary service to be let followed the con-
gressional investigation.
Mr.. Bliss instanced the Tongue-river route,
and asked how a contract was to be made
profitable by expedition, when it was losing
at the old schedule,
The witness duly answered: "You will
have to ask the contractors about that"
Question-You stated that you expedited
It to make it profitable to the contractor
how?
Answer-Expedited so as to get good SER
vice. l said we preferred to help the con-
tractors rather than Cypress them; whether
1t did or not is matter for them.
Mr.. Bliss pressed the question in a differ
emit form, the witness answering that he
would not take tri-weekly service without
7aVpaditiOn whom ha vyoS 1ocipn ,nOaou an
one trip per week. Where expedition was
added, however, it seemed to benefit the
contractors; how, the witness did not know
that was a question for the contractors. Mr..
Bliss inquired why the witness did not let
the service under temporary contract, in
stead of ex pediting it. He answered that ne
did not now remember the considerations
that then affected his mind, but as a matter
of fact no one in the wide world would take
such service under a six-months' contract.
He was asked how he proposed to get rid
of the stumbling block of increasing the
ridiculously low figure at which the original
service had been taken to a profitable figure.
The witness answered: 1--WE kicked the
s~tumbling-block out of our way in order to
get just what we did-good service"
In answer to a question as to what route
had not been relet under the miscellaneous
letting, the witness called attention to the
fact that the letting did not take place until
the fall of 1878, when the lowest bid would,
in all probability, have exceeded the figure
to which the route had been expedited.
When it was considered that it was a new
route, through a rough country, some such
result might have been reached under cover
of law, in a roundabout fashion, perhaps.
Mr.. Bliss asked why witness had heightened
the schedule time. He answered that it was
only just where the schedule had been fixed
and a contract taken on a misstatement of
the distance.
~Question-Then, why did you tell Judge
Kidder that you could not do it on the Yer
million-Sioux Falls route?
Answer-Because l do not remember
there was any such misstatements of distance.
HOW THE CONTRACTORS WERE TREATED.
Mr.. Bliss asked if service was ever put up
for an individual. The witness said he some
times accommodated his friends in that way.
The contractors were very well treated when
be was Assistant Postmaster-general.
Mr.. Bliss-I should think they were.
The witness added that it had resulted in
better service.
Mr.. Bliss-Don't you know that the Post
office Department is now self-supporting?
Answer-I do; but that is not throughfany
curtailment of star service; it only results
from the increased sale of stamps.
Mr.. Bliss-Did you always get expedited
service at the lowest possible rates?
Answer say that did. Having received
IuS dlludNII Oh Il COnlTdClOT, ana having a
general rule of my own that Western service
should not exceed $50 per mile, I tried to get
it at that rate, and not to exceed it, and these
nineteen routes show that we were getting it
at much less.
The witness was asked why he allowed a
contractor SO much more for expedition than
it actually cost, as shown by the filed sub
contracts, such as upon the Eugee City
Bridge Creek route. He answered that he
was not dealing with the sub-contractors.
The contractor was held for the service, sum-
mer and winter. The sub-contractor was not
bound to the department, and could throw
up the service at any time in the
middle OF winter, when the contractor
was bound to Immediately restore
the service. He thought the service on the
Eugene City and Bridge Creek route was
cheaply let. 1t was not the practice to in
crease and expedite a route where the service
was being already inadequately performed.
The witness saw Vale very frequently
while in the Postoffice Department. but
could not remember how he learned that
Vale was going to assume service for Miner,
Peck 4 Col he had probably been informed
by the chief clerk.
The congressional investigation was a rea-
son for not insisting upon the immediate es-
adjustment of service, at the beginning of
the contract term, upon the Canyon City,
Fort Dermott, and other routes. 1t was al
ways better TO grant a small allowance of
tme imam 10 declare a contractor a failing
contractor. There was abundant reason for
This.
acknowledgement Key had investigated
the charge of e2 travagance against the wit
ness; was before the congressional committee
in 1880 several times; he thought he then
testified that in almost all cases he got ex-
pedited service at less than prorata, and that
statement was true.
Mr.. BliSs-Are you aware that twelve of
the orders in this case were made at prorata?
Answer am not; my assertion on yes
terday was too broad, and l now find seven
orders made at less than prorata.
These orders were given in detail by the
witness. Eleven orders, he said, were made at
prorata, and seven at less than prorata. The
witness meant that expedition, and not
increase, was allowed at less that prorata,
gagged by the contractors affidavit. The