New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-08-24
NATIONAL CAPITAL TOPICS.
ABIG SCHEME OF CLAIM AGENTS.
ruors. xns OF CLAIMS FILED or BEHALF OF POST
MASTERS UNDER THE KNOTT BILL
fpY TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUsE --

MASTERS UNDER THE KNOTT BILL
iBr TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBusE.l ---
wAsUISGroN, Aug. 23.--Tremendous press
ure Is being exerted by certain washington cai'.
agents 10 induce the Postmaster-Gene'ai 10 adus. anu
nav at once some $4,000 claims Of posmasters and ex
on account of salaries for period oil ten
vears or more beginning With 1864. One claim agent
bas already hed 400 Of these claims and says mat nc
has about 6OOO more cases to present The whole
number of claims fled to the present time Is DOW
The total amount OF the claims no man can esuu".e
WHOM Proctor Knott PIT the bill through the House
,nder the gag rule he said they would aggregate less
than $500 600 while Mr.. Belmont, who had given the
matter some attention, estimated the amount at
go 600 600 The bill put through the senate unoer
the whip and spur In the expiring hours oil the as'
oress without debate The Post ONCE Department ha'
fought the claims vigorously from the beginning the
oeclas holding that the act Of 1864. as amended py
that OF 1866 had been fairly executed by the Depart
uen according TO its intent. Ten or twelve years
400 washington claim agent conceived the idea lna'
there was chance for him to make some money ~
nostasters Defeated In the courts he appeaico 10
and by the most persistent lobbying mas as no
saws in circular which be is DOW sending 10 claimants
aremoyed the statute of limitations and all other OBJ
.,,o,s N the navment of such claims" After warn
inc claimants against other clam agents. he con-
Tunes: at would DO folly 10 write " a
Jrs ,%b,is emitting ali the proceedings necessary TO
obtain his court IL Y equal ioy 70 wiz, no
rceednes necessary 10 obtain readutment OF salary
nnder the .Spadng act. send me power OF
and lea We all else TO Will state anu me o y, III
and press 1t to settle nent giving you no uOpie or
s,ieodjv relations %tn Department You VIII then
ssf yo,r nm epey and pay Tor all my years o. aooI III
this behalf by handing over TO me one-iour1n INC '
For The last three months General Gresham bas oeen
giving the subject careful consideration out mas aeu
ths FAR To construe the law In manner satisfactory
the claim agents. who are striving to Uphold .ne cause ~
auv little assessments they may DC aDie to coieot iV
olaiuauts Despite the assertion made IN me CIRCULAR
before quoted from that all oDsuuctlons 70 ao -
fio o such claims have been removed, therc are Two
practical difficulties yet to be overcome. Ia tne nst
nace this enormous OF claims can never NC nv
gated and adjusted without increase OF the
OF ths Post Office Department. pronlnent oios. ~,
vnicb said To-day that il take NIFTY clerks year
to do the work The clerical force OF tbe DepArtnee
Is barely able to keep with cnrren Dusiness IN tn
second place. after the claims nave peen 5 an &
cannot be paid until Congress shall have made an APP
preparation for that purpose In an onci iet'er a 49,
june o. constituting the new law IN connecon WIN 'Ho
acts of S64 and 1866. General Gresham says 49,.
arr in fact cases IN winch IL apYcareu Ion
the from sworn repors OF Ieoelps
and bn.luess postmasters Of he tlrd iouftn anu
fh classes the biennial readjustuents nao thei SAT
aries fixed under OF 1864, when, by 40 sdnst-
md the OF 1854 ten per cent or more "ou
have been added their salaries then under the aet on
IoeS such postmasters entitled 10 Whatever ado-
the act OF 1851 In all therefore, in which appos
tons are made readustment under the ACT Oh 1850
signed bv postmasters, or late postnslers OF tue
third fourth and NTH classes or deceased Dy lne exec
stems 10 detetmtne the sworn returns OF receipts
and business for readinstment, or from the qareiy
retrns made whether any addiuoaal sun II que uuer
eection OF the act OF 1865. as herein construed -
This Of the statute Is bitterly opposed by
the claim agents who dong everything In their
power TO Oyerturn II.