The Washington times., 1902-03-30
P. 0. INSPECTORS TO GO
Off CLASSIFIED LIST
Rumor Has ItJThat Such a
Move IS Contemplated.
Conference Held Between Postmaster
General, President Proctor, and
Commissioner Foulke.

Postmaster General Payne late yester-
| day afternoon held lcrgthy consultation
in his office with the Civil Service Com
mission in regard to emitting the offices
of postoifice inspectors from the classified
list.
This is said by opponents of the Admin
istration 10 be shrewd move by the de-
partment to fill these offices with friends
of President Roosevelt No conclusion
was definitely reached
The conference yesterday AFTERNOON also
concerned the office of chief clerk of the
Postofiice now occupied by Mr.. Blan
Taylor. 1t is admitted that change in
this office is desired.
Reply Not Satisfactory.
Postmaster General Payne's first COM
munication TO the Civil Service Commits
sion in regard TO Mr.. Taylor was sent on
last Monday. 1t was answered the fol-
lowing day by the president of the Com
mission, after conference of the mem
bers, and the reply is understood to have
been unsatisfactory to Mr.. Payne, and
not in accordance with the wishes of the
Administration.
1t was practically admitted at the Of
flee of the Commission yesterday that the
desire of the Postofiice Department is to
remove Mr.. Taylor, and the intimation
was also made that he would be cared
for in some other position, perhaps a
better one.
The most important part of the CORE
spondence, of course. is in relation to the
omission of the postoffice inspectors from
the classified list.
Speaking of this yesterday Govern
ment official In opposition to the Admins
tration said that the office of postoffice
inspector gives a man holding it great
scope as an active political agent
Commission Pays Call.
Following the reply to Postmaster
General Payne's letter on Tuesday
second communication was addressed to
the Civil Service Commission. Yesterday
afternoon the answer was carried in per-
son to the Postmaster General.
The Postoffice Department was deserted
and all the clerks had gone home when
President Proctor, of the Commission, and
Commissioner Foplke arrived. They were
shown TO the office of Postmaster General
Payne, where they were closeted until
few minutes after o'clock.
The question contaiaed in the CORE
spondence was gone over carefully, and
il is Understood that Mr.. Payne presented
his side of the matter in a most favorable
light. T. at
At the conclusion of the conference a
reporter for The. Times saw both Com
missioner Proctor and Commissioner
Foulke before they left the building.
Taken by surprise when questioned, Mr
Foulke darted a, quirk glance at his col
league, and both decided not to discuss
the matter. They denied that letter had
been received from the Postmaster Gen
eral.
Held a Secret.
The secretary of the Civil Service Com
mission when seen by the reporter earlier
in the afternoon, when the Commissioners
were with the Postmaster General, stated
frankly that the letter had been received
from Postmaster General Payne on Mon
day; that it had been answered on Tues
day. and that no information in regard to
the communication would be made public
He declared that the incident was
closed, and remarked significantly that If
the President desired to remove poStofiice
inspectors from the classified list he had
ample authority to do so, although it was
customary to defer to the Civil Service
Commission.