The evening times., 1896-01-17
SPIES OhI THE CARRIERS
Charges Against Postoffice De-
partment Officials Investigated.
HOUSE COMMITTEE DOES IT
Appear to o'Sub~tantiate Their Accu-
sations-First Assistant Postmaster
General Jones and Supt. Jones Tn
concerned.

The charges against the carrier service
or the P0st-orfice Department are having
- airing this afternoon.
SEx-Assis,ant Superintendent Hin OF
the free delivery service ana Messrs. Bcight
and Sullivan were at the Capitol early
in the morning to prefer their charges.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Jones
| and Superintendent Machen were also pres
ent TO deny any reflections which might be
made on the Department.
| The hearing is before Il subcommittee
OF the Committee on PostOffces and Post
| Roads: The whole committee was In scs-
! sion, but referred the matter TO d subcon-
| mittee.
TINS was found necessary when Mr.. Hill
told Chairman Loud that 1t would take
him two or three hours TO tell his story.
The subcommittee consists OF Messrs. Loud.
Smith and Kyle.
Mr. Beight, when seen by Times repre-
sentative, said they would show that the
employment OF agents TO spy on the carrier
system throughout the country was with
out authority, and therefore Illegal. They
claim that they will show that the whole
system is fraud.
CIVIL SERVICE Law VIOLATED.
He also said that they intended to show
that the civil service law had been vio-
lated by the collection OF assessments for
the Ohio campaign. Ii was in the telling
OF the details of these charges that so much
time would be taken up.
For his part, he scarcely expected 10 get
through inside or two or three weeks he
claimed that he and Mr.. Hill could con-
Ciusively prove all the charges they had
made.
Gen. Jones and Supt. Machen were ut
lunch when seen ny The Times representa-
tive. They were Passing way the time until
the subcommittee could get Il chance to meet.
Mr.. Machep claimed they were ready for
the fight. He said Gen. Jones was along
with him. and they would appear before the
committee to answer any questions that
might he asked. They were also ready to
meet any personal attacks that might be
made on them.
1t is a reflection on The intelligence or
such a man as Postmaster General Will
soB," said Mr.. Ma chen. Ito suppose that he
would enter into any expenditure OF such
sum $780, 900 if he didn't know he
was right He had all the mea ms al hand
of testing the legality of the movement
aaa surely satisfi'.' .t-,.seIr an this feature.
sAvINuS NLREASL ~ ERY YEAR
''As far as the legality of the transaction
is concerned, we can knock Mr.. Hill ard
his friends out in four minutes.
"As n result of the system in the towns
we have already visited we have been
able To cut ont the salaries OF 21S letter
carrieEs. We have improved the service
greatly.
This year am able to Il SIX for an appro-
pFiation of l 1-3 per cent greater than last
year. For the past six years the increase
has always been per cent. That is alldue
to this investigation.
Next year the saving viii he still larger
Wchave had TO scnd our inspectors out from
Washington. After this trouble is over
the inspectors Will be placed in the prin-
Cpal cities of the country. Heavy travel
ing expenses will thus he cut of.
I'VE are anxious for the fullest inyesti-
cation. We court it.
SUBCOMMITTEE MEETS.
The subcommittee met at l O'Clock with
Mr.. Loud in the chair. Mr.. Hill was the
first to take the floor. He commenced his
statement, aud when he first became per
sonal he was stopped.
He was told that lie must coBfine him
self to the misuse OF the appropriations.
He then told what disposition was made
of letter boxes.
Mr.. KYLE "DO | understand that in one
fiscal year postoffices are filled up with
boxes: the next year there are no requisi-
tions, and the money saved is spent in
campaigns"'
Mr.. Hill: you are right in part; ex-
actly right"
Mr. Kyle: "Do you know OF any cases
where money was used in campaign work."
Mr. Hill: Yes, / had agents in New York.
Had them in 1894. Superintendent ordered
these men TO report and do this work.
also know that the men had to have their
lives insured for the benefit of a friend of
the superintendent"
Mr.. Kyle-Mr. Hill, when did you discover
the use OF funds in political campaigns?
Mr.. HiIl-In 1891.
Mr. Kyie-were you discharged?
Mr.. HiIl-Yes.
THINKS GEN. JONES DELUDED.
Mr. Kyle-Then you made these charges
public?
Mr.. HiH-No. Imade some of these charges
before / was discharged. l believe Gen,
Jones is being deludcd. I believe there is
$500 900 more money asked than is neces-
sary. I know this money was used In this
way. am sorry am confined In my state
ment. I will make official charges, If the
committee desires
Mr.. Bright had served thirteen years in
the service seven years in the free deliv-
ery depa rtment. He claimed the spy system
was fraud; said Supt. Machen was the au-
thor of the system, and a friend of his
from Toledo, Ohio, had been appointed
special mechanic at S6 day. He Is not a
mechanic Afterward he was brought
here and promoted to chief of the secret
service department at So day.
Mr.. Bright read from manuscript his
charges He charged that the accounts
were changed for the benefit of the new
spy system. He referred to the Philadei-
mia post office, where eighty -One men
were appointed. The same winter one hun
tired men we're discharged under the spy
system report and none of the eighty-one
were in them.