Evening star., 1901-05-13

by the act Of August 13, 1894. Chap. 30,
Statutes at Large Volume 2S. page 219. II
is provided that no officer or person having
the approval of any bond shall exact that
| it shall be furnished by 4 guaranty COM
pany or any particular guaranty company.
In our interview with Postmaster Hicks
Mr.. Dana informed him that ii had been
said that he required indemnity bonds to
be taken by all his Subordinates in The Ma
tional Surety Company of New York, and
asked why II was necessary that such
bonds should be made by this part rticular
company Mr.. Hicks replied that that COM
pany had gone upon his bond and that he
wanted ii upon the bonds of the subprdi-
mates for whose acts he responsible
Mr.. Dana asked whether he had made some
arrangement in regard to his own bond
with this company, and he said he had: Mr..
Dana asked what the arrangement was.
and Mr.. Hicks answered that he would pre-
fer not to say. 1t would appear to be an
act of oppression on the part of a post
master. in consideration of special advan-
tageS given to him. thus to refuse bonds
made by responsible individuals or other
companies with whom the employees could
make better terms and thus create a mo-
nopoly on behalf of one particular COM
pany. who could charge what rates they
wanted.
Refusal to Give Information Alleged.
Section =. clause 4. provides that the
civil service commission may make inves-
port upon all matters touching the enforce
ment and effect of the rules and regula-
tions and concerning the action of suhordi-
mates in the public service in respect to
the execution of the civil service law. The
civil service commission accordingly sent
Mr. Doyle, its secretary. to make such an
examination of the Philadelphia post Of
flee. Mr.. Doyle called upon Postmaster
Hicks and read to him this section. Mr..
Hicks thereupon stated that he declined to
answer any questions or to afford Mr..
Doyle any information in his official ca
racity and that the employees of the post
office had been instructed, under penalty of
removal, to give Mr.. Doyle no informa-
ton l submit that if the postmaster is
thus permitted openly to defy the law and
retain his place, there is little hope that
the law will be respected anywhere.
Admission to CinssiRed Service.
Mr. Hicks. in conjunction with Mr..
Perry Heath, formerly first assistant post
master general. has secured the admission
of a considerable number of persons into
the classified service of his post Office with
out examination in the following manner:
Persons whom he desired to appoint were
sent to small post offices, which were about
to become classified, in advance of such
classification. They were appointed in
these offices. and then, soon the Of
fices became free delivery offices, they were
transferred to Philadelphia. Margaret B.
HICKS. sister OF the postmaster. was thus
appointed and carried the rolls of the
post office at Wayne. Pa. from October ].
1899, until January l. 1900. and paid at the
rate of 5000 per annum. but never per
formed any service and on the latter date
she was transferred a clerk to the Phil
adelphia post office, where she had pre-
viously served illegally and had been sep
arated upon the complaint of the civil ser
vice commission"
The letter to the President was signed
m D11l
the Investigating committee is signed by
William Dudley Foulke, Richard Henry
Dana. William 4. Aiken. Charles Richard
son and George McAneny.