The Sunday globe., 1901-07-21
A HOT DOSE
For Superintendent Machen of the
Free Delivery.
THE PRESS OF THE COUNTRY
Following The Sunday Globes Lead for His
Official Scalp Expose by New York
Paper Some Additional Tributes 10 Mr.
MaChen and a Warning 10 Postmaster
General Smith.

WdUnbn dHu warning " TOSlhdol6I-
General Smith.
A New York paper, through its
Washington correspondent, has been
attracted by The Globes exposure Of
the free delivery box attempted monop-
oily or steal. Things are getting ex-
ceedingly sultry for Superintendent
Machen and his friends, especially the
Adrian (Mich.) Steel Box Company of
his relative.
Here is what the intelligent corre-
spondent says:
"The subject is one Of growing i'm
portance to the thousands Of farmers
who are being provided with the new
and popular system of rural delivery
1t is Of growing Importance also to the
fourteen firms who have been granted
the concession to sell the thousands Of
boxes which line the routes. A West
ern Representative recently told the
officials of the Free Delivery Depart
ment that he regarded this monopoly
as worth no less than 100000 to those
controlling it. He said he believed
they could afford to pay that sum to
the Department and then make $780,.
GOO profit from the business. He esti-
mated that a million boxes would be
sold in the course Of year. The boxes
sell at prices varying from 81 to Sl75.
Estimating the profit on each box at
so cents, the gross profits would be
half a million dollars. Admitting that
the margin is only 20 cents the indus
try is paying one.
The farmer is compelled by the De-
partment to pay for the box. He has
to buy and put it up before he can get
any mail. The Department has the
right, and as to this right there is no
dispute, to prescribe certain require
ments as to the character Of the boxes.
But it is contended by members of
Congress that this is the limit of the
Departments authority. They assert
that any firm which makes box which
meets the Departments regulations
should be allowed to sell that box to
the farmers. But the Department has
gone a step further and has specified
certain boxes manufactured by certain
firms, and declared that these are the
only ones which will be permitted on
the free delivery routes, Thus the
farmer is compelled to buy these boxes
at the price which the firms may
choose to ask. 1t has already been no
ticed that there is no very animated
competition between the makers Of the
fourteen approved styles Of box, and
the conclusion is natural that they
have "a gentlemans agreement to
maintain rates" or that they are unit
ed to "do the public"
Congressman Frank Eddy of Mime
sofa, recently called on Superintendent
| Machen, of the free delivery service,
and expressed himself in vigorous
/ language. He said he did not charge
that anyone about the PostoRice De-
/ partment had any interest in the max
ing of these boxes; but he averred that
/ it would, in his opinion, be worth S25,-
600 to each of the fourteen makers of
/ the approved styles Of boxes. Repre-
sentative William Alden Smith, Of
Michigan, who was in Washington to-
day, also expressed himself as opposed
to the granting of any monopoly Of this
kind.
In my opinion" he said the De-
partment exceeds its authority wheT it
does more than prescribe the require.
ments. It should let all firms compete
which desire to-"
The growth of the rural delivery .eX-
tension has been phenomenal. Nearly
$2,O0O,00O year is now appropriated
for that purpose. The star routes are
gradually being wiped out. In order
to meet the new conditions and avoid
determination, the star route contract
ors are preparing to go into the box
business themselves. They believe they
can compete successfully with the new
system. Postmaster-Genera Smith will
probably soon be forced to take hand
i'm the dispute
Rural delivery, as an experiment,
commenced under Cleyeland's second
administration, or rather, toward the
latter part Of it, but it amounted to
nothing, for times were out Of joint,
and there was no surplus in the Treas
ury When Mckinley received the NOM
ination, Machen changed his politics,
became a gold Democrat first, and later
a Republican. All this time, while the
revolution in his politics was in prog.
ress. he studied and planned schemes,
and none of them were in line Of econ
omy He carried over from the Cleve-
land Administration, in the service, his
brothers and two uncles-GeOrge and
Henry Lorenz, the latter always an
swered to the title Of Judge" George,
the eX-postmaster of Toledo, was in the
internal revenue service and the
Judge" a commissioner Of the U, s.
Court of Claims, In the spring Of
1898 his services we're no longer re-
quired, and he dropped out OF that po-
sition. He was chiefly employed while
a commissioner, in the adjudication Of
letter carriers overtime claims, and.as-
socated with him as clerk was one Of
Machens younger brothers. A Mr..
Hurt, of Mississippi also a commits
sioner, and Mr.. Nillett, brother of Post
master Willstt, of this city (who fell
down an elevator shaft and was in
an'lv killed. was Mr.. Hurts clerk
Four Of Machen's ppointees-Lorenz,
Machen, Hurt and Willett, all on the
payrolk Of the U. S. Court of Claims
as per diem enployesl Il 50 happened
when these gentlemen dropped out Of
the service they had no money.
Through the skillful manipulation Of
Machen, vouchers We're drawn up. COW
ering the per diem salaries of all four
for the months Of October, November.
and December, 1897, payable at the city
po-Jodce. These men had been paid
| by .he Court OF Claims for that period
OF tme; but when they presented their
vouchers authorized by Perry S.
Heath, Postmaster Willet did not stop
TO question the matter Their claims