The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-03-08
4 fraud ORDER Issued
Alleged Dubious Enterprises Re-
fused the Use of the Nail.
Some Developments by Postonice De-
pHrtment OHcinis Concerning the
ica aud the bureau OF Civil
service Instruction The Trini

of America. the Bureau Of Civil Service In
struction. and W. W Daniel. all Of Wash
ington. It was not stated whether Grim
inal action viii follow this ruling.
Under the name Union Teachers Agen-
cies Of America, Mr. Bass advertised very
extensively throughout the country that
the concern Of that name had offices a,
Pittsburg Pa; Toronto, Canada; New Or
leans. La; New York, " Y: san Fran
cisco, Cal; Washington, d. c.; Salisbury
Pa; Chicago. Ill; St Louis, Mo, and
Denver. Col, and that it had unsurpassed
facilities for furnishing teachers wanting
positions with lists OF vacancies in any
section of the country where a position was
desired. and in giving assistance in obtain
ing such positions. To those who made
further enquiries Of this concern were sent
circulars, in which it was alleged that s eco
positions had been handled during the past
year. and the increased facilities OF the
agencies would bring a larger number to
their hands.
To substantate this statement an alleged
affidavit was attached, in which it was
stated that during four months in 1890
1857 teachers had been appointed to posi-
tiOns 10 which they were recommended By
the Union Teachers Agencies Of America
A nominal fee Of 81 was required for reg
istration in any one branch of the agencies.
or 50 for registration in all the branches
. OF the agencies. To induce prompt remit
tauces the circulars called attention to the
fact that most Of the registered teachers
/ had received appointments, and that APP
. plicants would be recommended to yaCan-
cies promptly.
The following resume of the case was
issued yesterday by the Postofiice De
/ partment:
The facts alleged TO have been brought
out are that Mr.. Bass conducted all
! the several branches of this institu-
/ tion in one or two rooms OF his
/ private house in Washington. D. c. To
obtain the mail sent to the various cities
/ in which he advertised he had branch
Offices he wrote the postmasters that he
| had been obliged to discontinue the office
in such city, and directed that mail COM
! ing to that address be forwarded to the
! home office at Washington. D. c. The
! system of obtaining information of vacan-
! cies was merely the collection of news
/ paper clippings in which it was stated
| that the teacher of -- school had re-
| signed, etc. and in having teachers
! throughout the country who applied to
( those agencies for a position answer as
/ to whether they intended to resign.
( Although notices of these probable vacan-
/ cies were sent to applicants, the same
] vacancy was reported to a large number
of applicants. The Postoffce Department
! correspondent with about 175 teachers who.
! it was alleged, had received their posi-
| lions through recommendations Of the
| Union Teachers Agencies Of America. and
not one of these corroborated that STATE
| ment. The replies from all OF these were
to the effect that the positions which were
recommended. and for which they applied
were in fact not vacancies. OF that they
did not receive any reply whatever to their
applications. The entire scheme OF the
| Union Teachers Agencies Of America
seemed TO be to obtain fee OF 81 or 50.
and to do only enough work to hide the
scheme.
Under the name Bureau Of Civil
/ Service Instruction. Bass undertook TO
instruct persons to pass the civil service
examination. and to assist them in oh,
tanning Government positions. In circular
letters sent broadcast throughout the
country he told Of the great increase in
force which was made and would be made
in the different departments at Washing
ton. In the Postofice Department alone
he stated 900 new positions had been
added. which would be filled during the
winter of 1S99-1900 BY a fallacious argu-
ment he illustrated how about Is 600
positions would have to be filed through
the civil service examinations within
very short time. and endeavored to
impress upon his readers the ease
by which one OF these positions might
be obtained if the person addressed
desired one. He stated that there was a
great dearth Of applicants for Government
positions. and that if person could but
read and write he could obtain a position
in the Census Office, at least
The Bureau OF Civil Service Instruction
was held up as showing ali the ms and
outs and rough places in the dark. and a
sure road leading to a Government ap-
pointment for the sum OF SIS. To Illus |
trate its success in obtaining positions for |
applicants, the affidavit used in the /
Teachers Agencies scheme was changed so |
it appeared that 1857 persons received their I
position to which they were recommended /
by Mr. Bass. the President Of the Bureau |
Of Civil Service instruction. and some per /
sonal examples were referred to Of ap- /
pointments made in the Treasury Depart /
meut and the Government Printing Office
The illustrations given were false as to /
the point he made by using them in his |
circulars n'he dearth Of applicants for |
Government positions was denied by the |
Civil Service Commission which showed BY !
its records that the facts are just the oppo
site The stat ament that the civil service /
I
creased " Is no. warranted. The certificate /
and affidavit which made it appear that
large number Of persons were receiving po-
sitions through recommendations Of the !
President Of the Bureau OF Civil Service
instruction was a fabrication gotten up
purely 10 induce remittauces from those
who desired Government positions and /
while certain questions were sent to those
who joined that institution. the services
were not of the character offered. The rep
reseRtatcu that information would be
given the student regarding the ms and
outs Of the Civil Service Commission was
met by advising them to write to the Civil
Service Commission for its manual The
name NJ ". Daniel was used simply as an
address by these institutions. and should
not be COMPOUNDED with any person bearing
that name"
The case was tried before Hon. Harrison
J. Barrett the Acting Assistant Attorney
General for the PostofTice Department Mr..
Francis G. Huebner. Of the Office Of the
Assistant Attorney General, presented the
side Of the Government, and Messrs Leckie
& Fulton, Of this city represented the de-
fence.
"Dertde Not ANY