The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-04-13
No Intimation from Any source of
Discrepancies. the Postmaster
General Again Asserts.
AN ERROR OF TWELVE CENTS
FOUND by MAJOR MILLS, THE ACT
ING INSPECTOR GENERAL.
Due to Reducing Mexican to Amer
lean vaIuations-A Letter
from Bryan to Lopez.

WASHINGTON. April 12.-F. w. vaille.
formerly director general of posts in the
Philippines, and now an assistant super
intendent OF the railway mail service. was
here to-day in connection with the state
ment in the report from Auditor Lawshee,
at Manila, that 1.-The accounts of the postal
service were very unsatisfactory" Mr..
vaille established the service in the Phil
ippines and remained there until several
months ago. He was called here from Phil
adelphia at the request of the postmaster
general. with view to explaining the facts
I'm the case. He had long interviews with
Postmaster General Smith, Assistant POST
master General Shallenberger and Colonel
Edwards. of the insular division of the War
accounting in the islands and the operations
generally during his regime in charge of the
service. Under his system, he explained,
the postoffice revenues were collected and
held by the postal service and the ex-
penses paid from the revenues, the BAL
ance being transmitted to the insular treas
Ury.
Last October or November in order to
make uniform the accounting methods of
the various branches Of the government
service, the Philippine Commission directed
that all the gross postal revenues be turned
into the insular treasury and the expenses
paid by checks or warrants from the treas
ury. Mr.. Vaille pointed out inconveniences
in this system. among others added risk
incurred in carrying moneys back and forth
over dangerous highways In the islands.
and the commission modified the directions
so as to permit the Withholding of all
money to pay the necessary expenses.
Meantime Mr.. Lawshee had been appointed
auditor. with instructions to continue the
postal accounting system which Mr.. vaille
bad instituted.
Mr.. yaille said that possible confusion
arising from the change in accounting sys-
tens In the interregnum between the be-
ginning of the War Department system and
the arrival of Mr.. Lawshee might have led
to Mr.. Lawshee's statement. This. he said.
was the basis, unless something recent had
developed of which he knew nothing. The
details of the various systems of account
ing were explained in detail at both the
Postofice and War departments
the further the matter had been probed
into the better showing 1t gave for the
service; that there had been no intimations
OF discrepancies of any sort. either in Mr..
Lawshee's report or i'm the subsequent con-
sideration of the matter. and that IL appar-
emily was wholly question of form of the
accounting. He cited report from Postof-
fee Inspector Erwin. whom he sent TO
Manila 10 make thorough investigation OF
the work. who reported 81 find that the
affairs of the department are in the most
satisfactory condition, particularly as re-
CARDS finances
He also cited the report of Major Mills,
the acting inspector general Of the United
States army. stating that the accounts were
In excellent condition. IAN error of l2
cents is noted on the expense account" it
says, "but this arose through errors in re-
ducing Mexican TO American valuations"