The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-26

| Rich and Reeves protest against any GRIM
| lnal designs upon their part. How much
I credit should be given TO their statements
| II is difficult to determine.
On December q. 1898, E. G. Rathbone
was appointed director general OF posts.
| His salary was fixed at $4,000 per annum.
| At his earnest request the Pos tInaster Cen
eral, on January so. 1899. allowed him s.
| per diem for expenses in addition to his
| salary. Later on he claimed his salary and
per diem were not sufficient and on June
- the Postmaster General, in response,
wrote him that his salary should be in
creased 10 $500 per annum, and that
with the compensation fixed at $500 the
per diem of 50 would cease" On July 8, in
answer TO this letter, Rathbone in q COM
planning way. stated that this increased his
! salary but Sb75. and indicated a very ear
nest desire that a house be furnished him
as an official residence. In reply to tn S
letter the Postmaster General on July Z,
wired him, VIII make full allowance for
house besides salary" and on the Sth
wrote: This means that it is our purpose
that provision shall be made for suitable
residence for you over. and above the fixed
compensation ot S6.5CO."
On December - the Postmaster General
issued the order fixing the salary at Sc, 60.
making it effective August l. The salary
OF the director general. therefore. was
from August l. 1899 $500 per annum,
without per diem. In addition to the SAL
ary he was provided with a house. The
records of the department of posts show
that he continued to draw 50 per diem in
addition to the S650O as salary. and when
called upon by Colonel Burton for his aU
thority for this allowance submitted the
letter. suppressing that part of it prohibit
ing the per diem. In closing the discussion
as to per diem the report says:
1t appears therefore, that Director General
Rathbone drew from August l. 1888 - April 80,
1900, tho Of 1866 per diem, which was
unauthorized. and that the drawing Of the same
fraudulent; and | therefore recommend that
he be required to reimburse the postal revenues
u Cuba in that amount.
Improper Personal Expenses.
In the bills rendered for the purchase
of furniture for the official residence there
appear many items that were paid for from
the postal revenues that cannot be cor
sidered as house furniture Among these
are charges for a trunk, gloves, dog col
lar. overc0at. hats for coachman, boots
for coachman. boots for footman, shirts,
collars. and cuffs for coachman, etc Un-
der what authority of law these expenses
for clothing were made l am unable to
state. Director General Rathbone claimed
that it was the custom of all countries
that high officials should be furnished with
such attendants. and that they should be
clothed at the expense Of the public rev.
snues. When the character of these pur-
chases became known to the Postmaster
General he wrote a letter to Director Cen
eral Rathbone, in which he said:
/ have today for the first time seen certain OF
your bills as director general OF posts, wf5ch
were brought here by Colonel Burton. SoTna OF
these bills not only without authority or
have been passed paid. The auditor, vino is
10 different department, mex
cusable in allowing them, ana your action IT.
presenting them for allowance grossly repre-
hsfssihle. Without waiting for i review and re-
consideration OF these bills by a righttul audit
sou should at once reimburse TO the island treas
lry the sums thus Improperly paid.
Rathbone made numerous official trips as
iirector general of posts. one in Ap'fi,
1893, as a tour of inspection around the
Island. He was accompanied by his fam
ly The report shows that not only Rath-
bones expenses. but the entire expenses
of his family on this trip were paid from
the postal revenues. He also made a
trip to the United States in April and May
1899. accompanied by his secretary. The
report shows that he had no official bust
city of Washington, though he charged rs
official expenditures his expenses 10 Gin
cinnati and Hamilton. Ohio, where he went
to attend TO private business. The report
discusses at length his trip to Cincinnati,
and Cleveland, and closes by
saying that Rathbone was aware at the
time that the charging of these expenses
to the Cuban postal revenues wRs unau-
thorized and fraudulent"
Another trip was made to the United
States in October and November, 1899. lie
was absent from Cuba about month. His
expenses on this trip were SS26-T7, one
item OF S236.15 being for his personal hotel !
expenses for eight days while in New York /
awaiting the sailing Of the steamer for /
Havana. Rathbone's family were in New /.
York with him at this time He states /!
that no part Of this expense was for his /
family. In discussing the subject the re-
port saysi
/ DO not think it is reasonable TO believe that |
the director general expended $3.50 a day for
personal hotel expenses while IN New YORK /
waiting the sailing Of the vessel for Havana but
10 believe that these expenses cover the entire
hotel expenses of himself and family. and that
hey have been fraudulenty charged against the
postal Tevenues Of Cuba.
and Duplicate Warrants
Before starting on his tour of inspec-
Ion around the island of Cuba Director
ieneral Rathbone drew two warrants, cne
Il favor of W. {. Wilmot, cashier, for
$50. and one in favor Of himself for a
ike amount. The expenses Of the trip,
ggregating s2sO.O7, were paid from the
variant drawn in favor of W z. Wilmot.
asher. The remaining S2l9.93 was re-
urned to the auditor and receipt taken
herefor. The other warrant was lost.
nd payment stopped. 1t was never found
IT presented for payment. On June 80 |
warrant was drawn in favor
4 Z. G. Rathbone for $500. in lieu OF war
ant No. 1904, lost; and on July it was
by Rathbone and cashed. No
accounting has ever been made by Rath-
bone for this $500.
When he made his trip to the United
States in April and May 1899, he also
lrew two warrants in the sum of $500
zach, both payable to himself One was
.ashed at Havana on April %, before he
iailed. From this warrant the expenses
II the trip. aggregating $425.45 were
,aid and the remainder, S74.55 appears to
lave seen returned to the auditor. The
econd warrant was cashed in Washing
on by Rathbone himself, and no account
ng has ever been made OF the $500 so
eceived. No part Of II was necessary 10
efray the expenses OF the trip, the ex-
lenses having been paid from the pro-
eeds OF the warrant cashed in Havana.
n discussing this subject the report says:
From the records it appears that Director Cen
raj Rathbone has d-awn two warrants to him
rlf in the sum Of 500 each. received the money
aereon and made accounting whatever for
ne same to the department Of posts. There
tards against him, therefore, the charge of uiI-~-
lwfuly appropriating $1,000 Of the Cuban postal