Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-05-14
POSTAL SCANDAL
WAR OFFICIALS WERE NOT
FRANK WITH CONGRESS
WANT ITEMIzED Statement.
Was Demanded Four Months Ago
Generous Salaries and Many
Bureaus.

Tribune from Washington says: The
later developments in the Cuban postal
scandals W produced a feeling among
a number of senators and representatives
that congress had not been treated in all
respects with entire f%rankness by some
of the officials of the war department,
which is especially charged with the ad-
ministration of civil affairs in Cuba as
well as in the Philippine archipelago,
and, until recently, in Porto Rico. So
long ago as January II. the senate adopt
ed the following resolutions:
That the secretary of war be-, and
hereby is, directed to send to the senate
an itemized statement of public receipts
from taxation, customs and other sources
collected in Cuba. and also of public ex-
penditures, including salaries paid to all
officers and incidental expense in Cuba
out of revenues so collected since the u.
5: government assumed control of that
island."
The reply of the secretary of war was
dated Feb. Is. 1t was prepared under
the supervision of Assistant Secretary
Meikleohn, who has had entire charge of
insular affairs in the war department
ever since that duty was first assigned
to him by Secretary Alger. nearly eight
cen months ago. In the letter tran1.lit-
ting the report. Secretary Root explained
tiol IL dH lleiiilLtu StdteIi1ent III greater
detail than is shown in the enclosed cop
les of reports and certificates is desired.
recourse must be had to the accounts
kept in Cuba" M he added:
"A copy of the resolution of the senate
of January II, has been forwarded to the
military governor Of Cuba with a direc-
ton that such a detailed statement be
prepared and that without awaiting the
completion of such detailed statement,
a statement showing tie salaries paid to
all officers n incidental expenses be
prepaid and transmitted to this depart
ment. when it will be forwarded to the
senate
That was three months ago, and so far
as could be detailed statement of salaries.
etc. has not yet been received and sent
to the senate.
On Jan. Is, the senate passed a resolu-
ton directing the secretary Of war to
send to the senate, full and exact copies
of all proclamations and orders that have
been issued or made respecting the col
lection of customs. internal and other
revenues in the islands of Cuba, Porto
Rico. and the Philippines since the seiz.
ure thereof by the government of the
United States, the rate of such customs.
internal and other revenues, the total
amount thereof, a list of the persons en-
gagged in such service and how such GUS
toms. internal and other revenues. have
been and are being disbursed and
LII otiillV vi aiS DdIt thereof
have been converted into the treasury of
the United States"
The senate has not received any re-
sponse to this resolution, which it adopt
ed about four months ago.
The monthly "itemized statement" of
receipts and disbursements sent by the
auditor and the treasurer of the re-
spective islands to the secretary of war,
Il copy of which was also sent to the
military governor, was of no value
whatever for any other purpose than to
show how much money had been re-
celVed by each collector of revenue. in
Guiding the collector of postal revenue,
and how much had been expended by
each ~dishursing officer. under the gem
eral heads of account. There is nothing
to show, for example how many per-
sons are required to compose the official
and clerical staff of the director general
or posts or the amount of
paid to each-only the lump sum of $685.
S34 paid on hat account for the six
months ended June 80. 1899.
Inc department is organized and Off
cered on a generous scale if one may
1alrly judge by the total disbursement
Tor salaries and the number of SEPARATE
bureaus. There is a bureau Of finance.
a bureau of postal accounts, a bureau
OF translation, a bureau of appoint
ments, a bureau of transportation. a
bureau of postal money orders, a bureau
VI speclai agents. a bureau of registra-
tion and a bureau of dead letters, be-
sides a chief clerk and a superintendent
and ~dlsbursing officers-both evidently
necessary and useful adjuncts of such
an official establishment. According to
the official report from which This infor-
nation is CLEANED there was EMPLOYED
IN December, 1899 IAN acting advisory
council but 1.-The legal branch of the
department. had not yet been perma-
nently organized. There were in the
heighporhood of $50 postoffices in oper-
alton at that time and the total popula-
ton. including the United States troops.
was estimated at 1,25O, 900. According to
unofficial information. the salary of the
director general who presides over this
department, amounts to 5000 a year
land perquisites."