New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-09-06
VICTORY FOR WESTERN UNION
A CLAIM AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT
SUSTAINED.
ASSISTANT POSTMASTER GENERAL HEATH RE-
PORTS IN FAVOR OF PAYING THE TELE-
GRAPH CoMPANY FOR SERVICES
RENDERED TO THE GOVERN
MENT BETWEEN 1889

my TELEGRAPH TO THE TRrBrxr.l

my TELEGRAPH TO THE TR1BUNEl
Washington. Sept. The report of Perry S.
Heath the First Assistant Postmaster ,ieneral. /.
acting as referee In the controversy between the
Western Union Telegraph Company and the Fed
oral Government. filed in tho Court of Claims
yesterday. though 1t has not yet been officially
made public. II sustains the telegraph company's
claim to a Just compensation for services performed
from lSs9 To 1913 which -Gcncral Wana-
maker and Hisscll. may be remembered. re-
pcatedly refused to allow. The Court is expected to
approve the report. in which that fact will
promptly be certified 10 the Treasury Department
The latter will then submit the matter TO Congress
Before the amount can be paid an appropriation
WILL Of course have to be passed. The amount in
volvcd IS over a quarter of million dollars
There IS curious phase Of this controversy
which may may lead the Court to take pro-
CcediuRs against the first referees These charles
O Shepherd and William r. Browne were ap-
pointed by the Court of Claims rs long ago as June
l3 1886 So far as Mr. Heath able to ascertain
these referees did nothing toward reaching a set
tlenont of the matter i'm controversy except 10 hire
expensive office which. according 10 all reports
was more frequently closed than open to people
having business with tn" Referees ana to look wise
in the fond expectation. probably that the refer
euce would continue indefinitely and prove 10 them.
at any rate. second klondike a couple of
modest If" annuties at the very least. Infortu-
natey for them. tn" present administration of TN"
thing IT undertakes and I'm this It vas tanta-
mount 10 the conversion OF what they hoped would
prove a second Jarudycc against Jarudyce iuio an
''iril"sccut dream"
In his report Mr. Heath complains poin;ediy Of
the difficulties encountered by him In obtaining
either results or papers from William II Browne.
though In the end he secured some ~ the fruits
of that gentlcman's hbors They wer" found 70
be Of iIitle or no value. and Mr.. Heath WAS com
PEELED 10 90 over the documents de novo. So FAR
as Charles .. shepherd iS concerned he has failed
to The present day 10 ot"y the order of the Court.
issued on June =. lN9,. TO deliver to NJ. Heath
all papers IN the case. He may ther. fore. Ind
himself befor" long IN contempt OF Court and
obliged to explain why be was unable to accom-
plish in two years tho work which MIR Heath
managed easily 20 perform in two months.
Mr. Heath was assisted In his work by G. F.
Trotter and w. y. Mooney Of the Postonlce De
partment. and J. u Austin and l. II. Leech, *
pert teleEraphcrs ard accountants The report It
self bears date Of September and ia. in part. as
follows.
Ny conclusions are original and are reached
after the most careful palnstnkine and consrien-
tious research of tn" materials ut my disposal.
the same being. rs has been reported by officials
IN the various executive departments. and As |
believe 10 he. all OF tho kilograms ana statements
Of account involved In the case The work here
tofore done by tho referees and their employees In
this audit assisted mo IN my WORK only 40 far as
the kilograms were classified and facings prepared
moving me number cf kilograms contained Ia
each package classified, BY circuits, and sheets
showing the number % words involved In each
classified circu!' Pui IN my asc"rtanments !
trcnt behind 'ie Classification nd conclusion
found. is stated ly M predecessors. and made my
OWL asceTttumcnts OF H'Ghcations from tho orig
nal ioicgrims
| End TIA, 'uc amount which would o. du" for
the telegraph service rendered ly th" claimant -
tho defendant for re period embraced r. tho claim
auts Ictit!on Duy g. ls'3. 20 Jun" N. 1850. ~ thr
rates u tolls fol f'l'.raphir service 'N'i u 10"
orders ~ the Hon J Sterling Morton Secretary co.
Agriculture. and wilson : Bi.-.i Fostmasior-
General respectively nggr"gH'" SIS ,i' ~ r."
gross amount = ID, service rendered hy the Wr-t-
-in Union TeleLraph Company during %" period
was $50 80 Is The payments mad" hv fh" Govern
Incnt through it, various cN"tItIV" departments
to the Western Uuion Telegraph Company dur
iug this period amounted 20 F-5l.d"I g. leaving.
as stated above balance Of s5s 80 ~ due for
vice rendered.
Tho totn. number II kilograms involved IN ~"
audit is .54.0 II VIII thus occur to "a" Cour, that
he total amount II material placed I'm ms hands
10 be- searched and used IN This audit very
laire. There NOR" than three wagon -llads
~ tecCrnms alone The sheets and hsir. Is q ono
tho r"siduum Of the Information contained iu the
vast amount - raw material. woull almos' make an
additional Wdg0n-lodd