The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-11-22
JUDGE AMOS P. FOSTERS STATE
MENT.
He Makes a Strong Plea.

AUSTIN, Tex, Nov. IL, 1S83.-When
person who, for many years, has occu.
pied a prominent official position OF
trust and honor is dismissed, for stated
cause, from such position, the dismis-
sal carries with it, to the world, the
idea of disgrace and dishonor. But
to the person thus humiliated, who
has been faithful to his duties, honest
in his convictions and conscientious
in his acts, it causes only a feeling of
grief. Such, to me, is my case. In
all of my late troubles l have asked no
one to assist me, or even speak kind
word in my behalf, for 1 have only
done what L deemed was right, and
claimed what 1 believed 1 was enti-
tied to. The "per diem question has
been a mooted one ever since the law
was passed-never, as 1 am aware of,
any official construction of it,
and each agent or inspector
constituting it as he believed
his labor entitled him to, thinking,
hat it was an emolument pertaining
to his position. for there have been,
until the late (Nov. 1, lnst.) construc-
ton by Z. M. Gen. Gresham, three
grades of inspectors, with salary and
per diem allowance of $1200 and$3 per
diem $14OO and 81 per diem, and
$1,000 and So per diem, and some $1,000
salary inspectors were only allowed
| Sf Aior1o Tho onncfr11Ofinn oT6
order of Gen. Gresham, as l now un-
derstand it, is, that all inspectors are
paid $1,000 per annum salary, except
ten, who are paid $500 salary, and
from this on no per diem is to be al
lowed to any, but, in lieu thereof, they
are to be reimbursed, not to exceed SIS
per day. tor their actual expenses.
when the same is presented to the
department IN proper voucher form,
with an affidavit attached thereto.
During my late visit to Washington
city, l ascertained that nearly all Gf
not quite) of the inspectors were
drawing their full salary and per diem,
under one construction or another,
and with both, in full. The pay is not
commensurate for the labors they
perform, and the responsibilities they
are expected and required to assume;
and, the pay of similar officials in
other departments of our government
is largely in excess of the total salary
and per diem of postoffice inspectors.
Now, so much has been said by the
press, and so little known by the pub
| lie, in my case, | most respectfully
ask that you will have the kindness to
publish the following facts, so that
my claims for "per diem" may be
truthfully known, together with my
reasons therefor.
AS regards my efficiency as on officer
or honesty of character, as a man, I
have nothing to say. The business men
and officials of this city, as well as in
our whole state, have known me for
years, and / have had official and per-
sonal transactions with nearly all of
them. The law upon which my claims
have been based reads as follows:
"Shall only be allowed for their actual
and necessary expenses, not exceeding
So per diem, when they are actually
engaged in travelling on the business
of the department" 1t will be OBJ
served that nothing is said in the law
about the residence of an inspector or
his headquarters, and, as has been
heretofore stated, the inspectors were
graded in both salary and per diem-I
their efficiency or time of
service, clearly establishing that
the "per diem was then consid-
cred as an emolument to their salary
for superior ability as agents for The
government. Otherwise, why should
not all inspectors of different grades
| in salary have received the same
amount of per diem, for it costs
| $1,000 inspector just as much to travel
as it does $1,000 one. y.salary was
$500 and So per diem during the time
l was called upon to eXplain-from
September 1, 1882, to September 80,
1S83-and there were with me most of
that time four other inspectors, max
ing five in all, and with the exception
of last May and June, the department
did not furnish me with any clerk,
and all the cares and responsibilities
of an inspector in charge" clerk for
the office, and my duties in the field fell
upon me alone; in fact l have done
| the work of three men, never al
lowing official business in my charge
to lack immediate attention or be de-
layed, causing me to work day and
night to keep my business up. During
that time my letter books show 1924
pages, all written matter, in my own
handwriting or copied from my pen
Gil reports and forms, besides which,
during that time, I have Investigated
personally and reported to the depart
ment sol cases-nearly double what
any inspector with me accomplished,
and 1 have travelled nearly as many
| miles in the field as any of them,
which does not include the days in
question, for which deemed, under
the many precedents chat l shall
hereafter name), l was entitled to, and
which charges were most conScien-
tiously made. A $25OO inspector was
transferred from the st. Louis divis-
ion to San Francisco, CAL, and changed
to $1,000 salary and So per diem. He
took board over at Oakland across the
bay from San Francisco-he would go
over to San Francisco from Oakland
and return there at night or remain
in San Francisco, his commission
passed him free, was at no expense for
| travelling, and when he did travel was
not travelling on business for the de-
/ partment; and l am informed he drew
his salary and full per diem. A year or
more ago an inspector was appointed
WHOSE UuGl0S ToQulr0u his WQO16 GlLu6
at the department in Washington; he
did not travel at all but drew his sal
ary and per diem. His case was freely
commented upon by the press at that
time, but 1 am informed that it did
not change the order of the depart
ment, and he still continued to
draw his salary and full
per diem. Inspectors who were on
duty in Washington, lived in Balti-
more, and came to and returned from
the department each day; they incur
red no expense in travelling, or other
wise, and were not travelling on busi-
ness of the department, but simply
going to or returning from their place
of official duty. 1 am informed that
they drew their per diem in full. An
inspector, who lived in New Orleans
La, where most of his business had
to be transacted, made his nominal
headquarters in Houston, Texas, lived
at New Orleans, his home, and drew
his salaryland full per diem. He in
formed me that he did this at the sug
gestion of the then postmaster general
This inspector did not travel, nor was
he lat any expense. Knight cite.many
other instances that am personally
aware of, but the foregoing are quite
sufficient to show what the practice
has been. I have only charged pei
diem for the time that 1 was actually
1 Il G.@I 1@s-z H. L. - L.