The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1900-05-15
aronuI Bethlehem, where they viii
gradually disDerss under pressure from
Rundle.

TERRITORIAL POSTAL AFFAIRS.
coDgress Has Called for Full state
mentg of the War Deparemtnt's
Administration.
NEW YORK. May i4--A special to
the Tribune from Washington. says;
The later developments in the Cuban
postal scandals have produced feeling
among a number Of senator's and rep
resentauyes that congress has not been
treated In all respects with entire
frankness by some Of the officials Of the
war department. which IS especially
charged with administration Of civil
affairs In Cuba. as well as in the Phil
ipplne archipelago. and. until recently
ln Puerto Rico. So long ago asJanuary
IL the senate adopted the following res
lutiCns
That the secrtary Of war be and Is
hereby directed 10 send to the senate,
an itemized statement OF public re-
ceipts from taxation. customs and 9TH
er cources, collected In Cuba, and also
Of public expenditures. including sala-
ries paid to all officers and incidental
expenses In Cuba cut Of revenues 80
collected since the United States gov
eminent assumed control OF that ISL
and"
The reply Of the secretary OF war was
dated February lj. It was prepared
under the supervision Of Assistant Sec
retary Meiklejohn, who has had entire
charge Of insular affairs In The war de-
partment ever since that duty was first
assigned 70 him by Secretary Alger,
nearly IS months ago. In the letter
transmitting the report Secretary Root
explained that III an itemized state
ment in greater detail than IS shown
IN the enclosed copies Of reports and
certificates is desired. recourse must be
had 70 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 a
direction that such detailed statement
be prepared and that without awaiting
the completion OF such detailed state
ment, statement showing the salaries
paid 70 all officers and incidental ex-
penses be prepared and transmitted to
this department, when 1t will be for
warded 10 the senate"
That was three months ago, and so
far as known no detailed statement Of
salaries. etc, has 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 SEN
ate, full and exact copies OF all proc
lamations and orders that have been is
sued or made respecting the collection
of customs. internal and other revenues
In the islands of Cuba. Puerto Rico and
the Philippines since the seizure thereof
by the government of the United
States; the rate Of such customs, in
tenal and other revenues. the total
amount thereof. list Of the persons or
person engaged in such service, and
how such customs. internal and other
revenues. have been and are being dis
bursed 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 it
adopted about four months ago.
The monthly 'itemiZed statement"
of receipts and disbursements sent by
the auditor and the treasurer of the re-
spactive islands to the secretary of war,
a NbH2 VI MAANu was dtSO Stul 10 Nlt
military governor. was Of no value
whatever. for any purpose other than
TO show how much money had been re-
ceived by each collector Of revenue, in
clu iirg the collector Of postal revenue,
and how much had been expended by
each disbursing officer, under the gem
cral heads Of account.
There is nothing to show, for example,
how many persons are required to COM
pose the official and clerical stan Of
the director general of posts, or the
the amount Of compensation paid to
each-only the lump sum Of S96.S34 paid
on that account for the six months end
ed June 80, 1899. The department is or
ganized and differed on a generous
scale, If one may fairly judge by the
total disbursements for salaries and the
number OF separate bureaus. There is
4 bureau of finance, bureau of postal
accounts, bureau of translation, a bu-
reau of appointments, a bureau Of
transportation bureau of postal mon
ey orders, a bureau of special agents,
a bureau Of registration, and a bureau
of dead letters. besides a chief clerk
and a superintendent and disbursing
ofl,oers-both evidently necessary and
useful adjuncts Of such an official es-
adjustment,
According to the official report from
which this information is cleaned,
there was employed on December 10,
1899. an acting advisory council, but
the legal branch Of the department" ;"
had not yet been permanently organ
lied. There We're in the neighborhoOd
of $50 postofiiees in operation at that
tine and the total population, includ-
ing United States troops. was esti-
mated at 1,250,OOO. According to un-
official information, the salary of the
director general who presides over this
department, amounts to $4,000 a year,
'and perquisites.