The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-04-07
INEFFICIENT SERVICE.
The Case of the Postmaster at Rome, N. w.
How Careless Officials Will Be Treated.

The Case of the Postmaster at Rome, N. "
How Careless Officials Will Be Treated.
WASHINGTON, April 6.-The postmaster at
Rome, NY. was to-day suspended from further
duty in his Office by order of the President, and
James B. Corcaran has been designated TO per-
form the duties of the Office in his stead. The
President proposed the removal of the postmas-
ter, and nominated Corcaran to the Senate at
the recent session, and as it failed to take action
on the nomination, the Postmaster general APP
piled to the President for instructions in the
case, and received written communication,
which has been procured from the department,
and is as follows:
''Hon. William F. Villas, Postmaster general:
dear Sir--In answer to your inquiry as to
the disposition to be made of the case of the
postmaster at Rome. Oneida county, New York,
which was presented to the Senate on the Goth
day of March, with proposition that he be re-
moved for cause and which proposition was not
acted upon prior to the adjournment of that
body, on the End day of April have to say that
to me it clearly seems to be my duty to exercise,
by prompt action in this case, all the power
which the present condition of the law has left
In my hands, SO far as it may be done independ-
ent of the Senate TO protect the interests Of the
government, to vindcate the laws which
have been enacted for the regulation of the
Office holders the fact that no indulgence will be
granted by the executive to those who violate
the law or neglect public duty. This postmaster,
under section 4044 of the United States Revised
Statutes, and the regulations of the Postoffice
Department. was required to transmit to the de-
partment weekly report Of the business done
by him in the money order branch of his Office.
1t appears from the official report of an Inspector
and which was submitted to a committee of the
Senate while the proposition to remove
this official was before it, that
examination of his Office was ordered on
the Goth day of January, 1885 in
consequence of the fact that no such weekly re-
ports had been made since the 9th day of De-
cember, 1884. 1t further appears, from this re-
port, that such examination developed the most
dsgraceful confusion in all that pertained to
the accounts and the financial condition of the
Office that there had been no entry in the money
order cash book since July, 1884, and, as might
have been expected, there was a deficiency in
the money order account of more than 500. and
IN the postal account of more than $500. There
is, think, no dispute touching these facts. The
difference has been refunded to the government
under an arrangement with one of the sureteS
of the delinquent Official, and he attempted to
excuse the wretched condition of his Office by
alleging that his assistant had entire charge of
the money order business as well as other details
of the Office. In making such an excuse this Of
fcer admits, it seems to me, violation of plain
duty In turning over the operations of his Office
to an assistant without any pretext of sick
ness or unavoidable absence of the postmaster,
which is contrary to a reasonable construction
of section 403l of the Revised Statutes, which
provides that in case of sickness unavoidable
absence of the postmaster of any money order
postoffice he may, with the approval of the
Postmaster general authorize the chief clerk, or
some other clerk employed therein, to act in his
place. and to discharge all the duties required by
law of such postmaster
'By the claim made that the assistant,
having had full charge. is responsible for the
delinquencies and irregularities complained of,
the postmaster appears to contradict his own
sworn statement made to the department as late
as September 30 1884, to the effect that he him.
self had performed for the preceding quarter the
money order business in his Office, except when
necessarily absent l shall do all that is in my
power to rid the public service of officials who
exhibit such loose ideas of their duty to the
public:
"a document before me, signed by many resi-
dents of the city where the postmaster is located,
and who belong to both political parties,
asserting their entire confidence in
his honesty and fidelity, demonstrates the
unfortunate facility with which such papers
may be obtained, and gives rise to an unpleasant
suspicion touching too prevalent method of
political honesty. If | cannot remove this de-
linquent postmaster can surely suspend him.
This have determined to do, promptly, and
desire you at once to send me the papers neces-
sary for that purpose, with a designation Of
James B. Ccrcoran to perform the duties of
postmaster in place of the official thus sus-
pended. GROVER CLEVELAND"
At an interview with the Postmaster general
he stated to a reporter of the Associated Press,
this afternoon, that the Senate committee asked
for and had sent to them the papers in the case,
including the inspectors report, and the reason
for their declining to approve the proposed re-
moval was unknown to him and could only be
surmised. The facts are plainly shown, he said,
by the official report of the Inspector made dur
open to no suspicion of partisan or personal un
friendlness, and are such, indeed, as hardly
admit of explanation. The President in his
letter. has only mentioned those in respect to
which no opportunity for question was
open. The removal was not proposed
for any other purpose than to improve the serv-
ice, and the nominee is n man against whom no
lust objection could lie. The Postmaster general
added that the President may see good oppor
tunty TO say, from some of the evidence before
him. that he believes notion to be prevalent
and the practice to be general, accordingly, that
postmasters should have allowances for clerks
sufficient to enable them to do the business of
their Offices, while the postmaster himself,
though the best paid, should be required to give
no personal labor beyond general supervision.
This case illustrates what may happen from
such practice, if the excuse of the Rome
postmaster be true in fact, and in every
case of default the clerk or assistant will be
made the scapegoat. 1t is the intention of the
department to make careful scrutiny of these
allowances and TO reduce them, when necessary
MATERIALLY ranTiring the pOstmaster to give his