Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-03-07
HOW TO RUN A POST OFFICE
Ex.Postmaster Paul Enlightens the
House Investigating Committee.

Ex.Postmaster Paul Enlighteus the
House Investigating Committee.
he WAS NOT SURE ABOUT HIS own PoLITIcs, But
KNEW THE POLITICAL FAITH OF THE POST
OFFICE KMPLoYEs-HIs OPINION OF THE CIVIL
sHRvIcR Law AND OF LOCAL ExAAININa BOARDS.
Mr.. Lehlbach and Mr.. Stone Of the House
committee. the two civil service commissioners,
MIR. Paul and the stenographers made mp the
attendance at the opening Of the civil service
investigation hearing this morning. Later Mr..
Boatner and Mr.. Hatton arrived
Mr.. Paul took the stand and was examined
by Mr.. Stone. Witness said that 81 employees
of all grades we're in the Milwaukee post office
when he took charge. OF these "a were subject
to examination under the civil service Law and
rs were in excepted places. OF these 81
we're voters and we're all understood to be
republicans When he went out of Office there
were 145 employees, 100 Of whom we're subject
to examination and 43 in excepted places.
Twenty in the classified service separated from
the service during his incumbency. of whom
were dismissed for cause. The other Is sepa-
rations from the service we're caused by death
or designations. Fifteen vacancies occurred in
the excepted places. 5 by removal, by resig-
tons. The office force was increased by 81
persons during his term. Twenty-eight Of his
own appointees separated from the Office dur
ing his term. Of whom we're removed
REMOVED ONLY TEN REPUBLICAN,.
Witness said that he had removed only ten Of
the ninety-four republicans he found in office.
He said that the superintendent Of the mailing
division, the superintendent of the stamp divi-
sion and the superintendent of the general de-
Atuio all L..
MS term. The superintendent OF the register
division was Shidy and the superintendent of
the free delivery was Q democrat and labor
man.
DOESN'T KNOW HIS own POLITICS.
Witness said it was almost impossible for
him to tell what his own politics we're. He
passed as a democrat. He said that he did not
turn out republicans and appoint democrats In
the excepted places even, because this would
have been in violation of the spirit of the civil
service law.
HIS OPINION OF THE CIVIL. SERVICE Law.
Witness said that in general sense he vas
an advocate of the civil service law, but that
he thought the law now restricted honest men
but did not restrict dishonest men. He said
he had obeyed the law to the best of his UNDER
standing of 1t. The condition of the law made
Its execution necessarily inefficient. He said
he thought the local examining board at Mil
waukee had acted in good faith He testified
that he thought.
VIOLATIONS OF THE Law WERE EASY
when the postmaster wanted to violate the
law and he did not think the violations could
be easily discovered. Then, too, while he dis
claimed that his board Was subservient to him.
he thought these boards we're very apt to be
influenced and subservient to the party under
which they served. He thought man whose
conscience would permit him to do such
thing could easily appoint either political or
personal friends in the classified service in
preference to other persons. 1t was fact that
the applications came i'll from democrats when
democrats were in power and from republicans
when republicans were in power. He said he
did not approve of the method of the Milwaukee
board, but that he thought their action was
due TO the uncertainty Oh the law and rules.
Witness was asked If he would not have re-
ported Mr.. Shidy had he known how be was
violating the law.
He said that had he had opportunity to ex-
anime MIR. Shidy's registration book and
known how he was doing he should have re-
ported him to all mankind
Did you not know" was asked, "that it was
Illegal aud improper for Shidy to publish his
registration list and to expose that list to
your
Witness said he did but that he thought the
commission knew it and did not think he was
called on to report the matter. Witness said
that be thought the average Of appointments
outside of the civil service were better than
those ma de under the law. He regarded the ex-
aminations as good test of general qualifca-
lions, but he thought the fault lay in the selec-
tions. The service would be improved by per-
uniting selections from the whole registration
list. He thought the law crude and not
practical restraint upon men of bad disposition
DELICATE MATTER.
The witness examination was then closed
and Mr.. Thompson made a statement in con-
nection with the statement of Mr.. Paul that
there had been no other charges against him
than those made by the civil service commits
sion. Mr. Thompson called attention to the
fact that the Postmaster General. in accepting
the resignation of Mr.. Paul, had stated that he
had intended to remove him OH the testimony
taken by the Post Office inspector and by the
commission. He said that the commission had
not desired to have the inspectors report put
III as testimony, because it made charges of
personal character against a person not con-
neeted in any way with this investigation
and that these charges were of q character
difficult to prove and difficult to disprove, but
OF such a character to seriously damage the
person if but limited at. The commission did
not want to expose this matter, which did not
relate to the investigation, by submitting the
report, but he asked that Inspector
Flemming be put on the stand to answer the
statement of the witness that there had been
no other charges against him.
There was objection to going into this
branch of the controversy, and Mr. Paul said
that his reply as to other charges had refer
ence only to charges of violation Of the civil
service Law.
hR. PAUL KNEW THE POLITICS OF THE EN-
PLoYEs.
Witness (PauD said that he knew the politi-
cal faith of the employees in the Office when he
took charge of the Office, not from any per-
sonal investigation of his own, but because un-
der his predecessor many of them were en-
gagged in canvassing the city for the republican
party, and he knew also from documents found
by him in the Office. He did not care to re-
fleet upon his predecessor.
THE CASE OF CUMMINGS.
In his former testimony Mr.. Paul had stated
that Mr.. Cummings had never been employed
in any but an excepted position. He had been
appointed, but had declined and had never
served.
Mr.. Thompson presented letter from As
sistant Postmaster General Clarkson stating
that Mr.. Cummings had been paid for several
months from May as a'stamper.
Witness stated that he was appointed
stamper and declined and was at once trans
ferred to a position the commission had de-
cided to be excepted with the same pay, and
had not served AS stamper.
Mr.. Roosevelt then showed that while the
department records showed that Mr.. Cum
mings had been appointed May aud had re-
ceived pay from that time, the commission
had not in June yet decided that the place
was excepted from the examination, and that
in June Mr.. Paul was still asking the commits
sion for q decision as to whether or not the