The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-15
CUBAN POSTAL FRAUDS.
GENEROUS SCALE OF ORGANIZA-
TTON AND EXPENSE ITEMS.
Complaint Among Some Senators aud
Representative of Failure to
Receive Information which Was
Asked From war Department.

NEW YORK, May IA special TO the
Tribune from Washington says:
The late developments In the Cuban
postal scandals have produced "A feeling
among number of senators and repre-
sentatiyes 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 well as in the Philippine archi-
pelago, and, until recently, in Puerto Rico.
so long ago as January II, the senate
adopted the following resolutions:
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, col
lected in Cuba, and also OF public expen-
ditures, including salaries paid to all ofii-
GERS and incidental expenses in Cuba, out
OF revenues so collected since the United
States government assumed control OF
that island" The reply of the secretary
OF war was dated February 10. 1t was
prepared under tine supervision of Assist
ant Secretary Meiklejohn, 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 eighteen months ago. In the let
ter transmitting the report Secretary
Root explained that If an itemized state
ment In greater detail than is shown In
the inclosed copies of reports and certin-
Gates is desired, recourse must be had to
the accounts kept in Cuba" and 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 detailed statement be
prepared and that without awaiting the
completion of such detailed statement,
statement showing the salaries paid to all
officers and Incidental expenses be prepar-
ed and transmitted to this department,
when 1t will be forwarded TO the senate"
That was three months ago, and the
detailed statement of salaries. ETC., has
not yet been received and sent to the
senate.
On January % the senate passed reso-
luton directing the secretary of war 10
send to the senate ''ful and exact copies
OF all proclamations and orders that have
been issued or made respecting the coll
lection OF customs, internal and other rev.
enues 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. internal
and other revenues, the total amount
thereof. list of the persons engaged
In such service and how such customs.
internal and other revenues. have been
and are being disbursed, and whether tho
same or any part thereof have been COW
cred into the treasury OF the United
states"
The senate has not received any re-
Spouse to this resolution, which 1t adopt
ed about four months ago.
The monthly ''itemzed statement OF
receipts and disbursements sent by the
auditor and the treasurer OF the respec-
tive islands to the secretary of war, a
copy OF which was also sent to the mill
tary governor, was OF no value whatever
for any other purpose than to show how
much money had been received by each
collector OF revenue, including the collec-
tor Of postal revenue. and how much had
been expended by each disbursing officer,
under the general heads of account There
IL nothing TO show. for example, how
many persons are required to compose the
official and clerical stan OF the director
general of posts, or the amount of COM
pensation paid to each. only the lump sum
OF Ss6.s34 paid on that account for the six
months ended June 30. 1899.
The department is organized and offi-
cered on generous scale, II one may
fairly judge by the total disbursement for
salaries and the number OF separate bu-
reaus. There is a bureau of finance, a
bureau of postal accounts, a bureau of
translation. "a bureau of appointments,
bureau of transportation a bureau of pos
tai money orders, bureau of special
agents, bureau of registration and bu-
reau of dead letters, besides a chief clerk
and a superintendent and disbursing ori-
rers, both evidently necessary and useful
ad.uncts OF such an official establishment
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 organized There were
In the neighborhood OF one hundred and
nifty postofrlces IN operation at that time.
and the total population. including United
States troops. was estimated 1T 1 80 oo0.
According to unofficial information the
salary OF the director general who pre-
sides over this deuartnpnt amounts In