The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-05-14
A BREATH OF SCANDAL.
War Department WithhOlds
Facts About Cuban Postal
Affairs.

New York, May IA special to the
Tribune from Washington says:
The later developments in the Cuban
postal scandals have produced a feeling
among number of senators and repre-
sentatives that congress has not been
treated in all respects with entire frank
ness by some of the officials of the war
department, which is especially charged
with the administration of civil affairs
in Cuba as we'll as in the Philippine
archipelago and, until recently, in Porto
Rico. So long ago as January II, the
senate adopted the following resolu-
ton:
That the secretary of war be and is
hereby 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 expenditures, including salaries
paid to all officers and incidental eX-
penses in Cuba out of revenues so col
lected since the United States govern
ment assumed control of that island
The reply of the secretary of war was
dated February Is. 1t was prepared un-
der the supervision of Assistant Secre-
tary Meiklejohn, who has had entire
charge of insular affairs in the war de-
partment ever since that duty was first
assigned to him by. Secretary Alger,
nearly eighteen months ago. In the let
ter transmitting the report Secretary
Root explained that if an itemized
statement in greater detail than is
shown in the inclosed copies of reports
and certificates is desired, recourse must
be had to the accounts kept in Cuba,
and he added:
"A copy of the resolution of the SEN
ate of January II has been forwarded to
the military governor Of Cuba, with
direction that such a detailed statement
be prepared and that without awaiting
the completion of such full detailed
statement a statement showing the sal
aries paid to all officers and incidental
expenses be prepared and transmitted to
this department, when it will be for
Warded to the senate
That was three months ago, and so far
as ascertained, the detailed statement of
salaries, etc. has not yet been received
and sent to the senate.
On January 25 the senate passed a
resolution 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 respect
ing the collection of customs, internal
and other revenues in the islands of
Cuba, Porto Rico and the Philippines
since the seizure therefore by the gov
ernment of the United States, the rate
| of such customs internal and other rev.
| enues, the total thereof, list of the per-
| sons or person engaged in such service
| and how such customs, internal and
/ other revenues, have been and are being
disbursed, and whether the same or any
| part thereof have been converted into
! the treasury of the United States"
The senate has not yet received any
| response to this resolution, which 1t
adopted nearly four months ago.
The monthly 'itemized statement OF
receipts and disbursements sent by the
| auditor and the treasurer of the reSpeC-
/ five islands to the secretary of war, a
couy of which was also sent to the mill
! tary governor. was of no value whatev-
| er for any other purpose than to show
| how much money had been received by
| each collector of revenue, including the
! NJ r1nEfal and how
much had been expended by each dis
| bursting officer, under the general heads
of account. There is nothing to show
for example, how many persons are re
Quired to compose the official and cleri
cal staff of the director general of posts
or the amount of compensation paid tC
each-oniy the lump sum of $96. .S34 paiC
on that account for the six months end
ed June 80, 1899.
The department is organized and Off
cered on a generous scale, if one may
fairly judge by the total disbursement
for salaries and the number of separat
bureaus. There is a bureau of finance
a bureau of postal accounts, a bureau o
translation, a bureau Of appointments
Z bureau Of transportation, a bureau o
postal money orders, a bureau of spec
ial agents. a bureau Of registra ton an,
a bureau Of dead letters. besides a chic
clerk and a superintendent and disburs
ing officers-both evidently necessar,
and useful adjuncts of such an officla
J eSldDHSn1ne0I- According TO the Off1cia
report which this informatiin !
cleaned there was employed in Decem
ber 19, 1883. an acting advisory cGuu
cil,' but rthe legal branch of the de
partment" had not yet been permanent
ly organized. There were in the neigh
borhood of one hundred and fifty post
offices in operation at that time and III
total population, including United State
troops, was estimated at 1.25O. 600. Ao
oording to unofficial information. tn
salary of the director general, who pre-
= sides ever this department, amounts t
5000 year .'and perquisites''