The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1890-10-04
Merely a P~erquislte.

two killed during the fight, but the news
is not authentic.
Merely q P~erquisite.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-The house COM
mittee on accounts to-day began an inves-
tigation into the charges preferred against
Postmaster Wheat of the house on the
resolution introduced by Enloe. The
charges are in effect that Wheat required
the contractor who carried the mails from
the house to the postoffice to pay him $3.50
a month from the contract price; also that
the postmaster has on his roll of employees,
at 500 per month, a Mr.. Bradley, who
works in the government printing office
and that Mr.. Bradley pays S95 of it to
Wheat's son. The committee first took up
the charge relating to the letting of the
mail contract and called, Wheat to the
stand to make a statement concerning it.
The contract was entered into, he said, in
December last with Culbertson at the rate
of $4,000 per year, of which sum gilbert
son was to pay him $3.50 per month. Some
time after the letting of the contract he
learned that it was being talked Of by a
discharged employee as not being the prop
er thing. The charge subsequently APP
peared in a newspaper. He then talked
the matter over with other persons and
came to the conclusion that it was a VIOLA
ton OF the law. Ho wanted to give the
money he had received from Culbertson
back to him, but was advised that it did
not belong to him, but to. the government.
He then Went to the treasury department,
deposited the money and received a re-
ceipt for it. He had received no more
since from CulbertsOn under the agree
ment. Replying to Enloe, the postmaster
said that he had consulted the clerk of the
house, Representative Caswell the speaker
and others about the matter. He was asked
if his son Walter had not gone to Con
was likely to be an investigation and ask
ing him to put $3.50 in the hands of a third
party. He declared that he knew of no such
conversation. Subsequently the contract
taken away from Culberts0n and CIV
en- to Daish at $4,000 year. In answer to
a question as to how he had come to fix the
first contract at $1,000 per year, the wit
ness said that when he first ekme to Wash
ington the office was new to HIM and he
simply had the contract of the previous
year copied, as he supposed it was all
right. He afterwards found that the ap-
preparation allowed for this purpose was
5000 a year. Wheat said further that a
number of persons, had spoken to him
about a perquisite of $3.50 pei month when
the contract was entered into, but their
names he could not recall. Harry gilbert
was then sworn and identified the con.
tract. He had carried the mails for Dal-
ton, the former postmaster, for six years
previous to December last. He had re-
ceived as compensation $1,000 per year.
The witness declared that he had not
made similar previous payments of $3.50
per month to the postmaster. He explained
came about. Wheat had asked him to
come to his room. Wheat asked him at
first for 5000 per month in return for the
contract. Witness said he could not give
him that but made a counter proposition to
give him $3.50. This, he said. would re-
quire him to do the work at a starvation
price. Dillon was called in as a witness to
the affair. He did not, pay any part of
his contract money to any person
toms administration. In reply to a lei
Der of the committee, the witness said that
he vas DaltOn's father-in-law. In reply
to further questions he said that after he
had paid the money five months he asked
to be. allowed to keep the $3.50 for n
month to buy harness and feed. The wit
ness said he had paid the money to Wheat's
son, Walter. One day when it was appaF-
ent that an investigation was probable,
Wheat's son had, come to HIM and wanted
to have the money (S75O) handed over
temporarily to a third party, but this was
not done. He had received notice subse-
quently of a desire to close the contract.
but there was a months pay still due him.
Adjourned.
THE N. p.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-In the senate
this morning the bill to repeal a part of
the act of 1852, dividing the state Of Iowa
into two judiciary districts, was reported
and passed. Senator Morgan introduced a
bill, which was referred to the committee
public lands, to forfeit the lands grant
ed to the Northern Pacific railroad for a
portion of it's line between Bismarck, N.
b., and Walla Walla. He also asked that
OF the Northern Pacific be suspended from
getting their fees, and he thought the best
way to do that was for the senate and
house to take up the subject of forfeiture
of that land grant. Ft -
MKINLEY EXPLAINS.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 27.-In the house to-
day Mckinley explained the provisions of
the conference report. In regard to the
subject of binding Irvine, he expressed his
opinion that the duty was too low, but he
INDUCED in the hope that some future con-
gress would, discover the fact and apply a
remedy. Commenting upon the reciproc-
ity provision, he said: "We consented to
have the reciprocity provision put. into our
bill by the senate-a provision which is
perfectly wells nnderstoodsabys bdth sides
Of the house. 1t issa deciaraA Ion that,
whereas the United, States has.aAeady
made coffee and hides free, and. now pro-
poses to make sugar free, 10, the interest Of
reciprocal trade arrangements With other
countries and with the expectation that
we shall secure valuable concessions from
those countries, therefore, in the event.
generosity on the part Of the American
the president of the United
States may, by proclamation. declare that
they have furnished us no reasonable or.
Just reciprocal advantages in return
for our concessions and therefore the
duties fixed by this bill shall be
imposed upon these articles. We have ac-
the amendment (known as the Aid
rich amendment) and we indulge the hope
that, in accordance with the expectation
and belief of so many distinguished men
all over the country, this will enable US to
open up great fields for the products OfOur
farms. We veSaccepted this amendment
in5the hope that such asresult will befully
realized. Flower. Cummings, Lind and
others spoke, Mckinley then took the