The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-18

Herman and using your good offices in
his behalf; that you advised Herman
that his $4,000 deposit would probably
be returned to him if he adopted your
suggestion.
Transcribed His Functions.
1T further appears that you regard
ed Mr.. Herman as possessing the me-
chanical qualifications requisite to the
performance of the contract and that
1t was not any part of your duty to
pass on the question of his response
bility, financial or otherwise. It also
appears that you did not acquaint your
superior, First Assistant Postmaster
General Wynne, with the fact that you
had endeavored to have Mr.. Herman
withdraw his bid. 1t further appears
that hearing has been had before
Gen. Wynne, on the question Of the
financial responsibility Of Mr.. Herman;
although it has developed since the
submission of your answer this morn
ing, that you discouraged the grant
ing Of such hearing and manifested
a desire that the contract be award
ed to the Wynkoop. Hallenback. Craw-
ford company"
Postmaster General Payne said that
there was no charge that Mr.. Metcalfe
had done anything that was amenable
to the law, but said that his conduct
was serious indiscretion that could not
be overlooked. Mr.. Metcalfe, he said,
always had been considered a faith
full, efficient, painstaking and honest
employe.
The postmaster general, on his ar
rival at the department today, sent
for Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eraI BristoW and Assistant Attorney
General Robb, and after detailing the
information that had reached him re-
gardlng the money order printing bids,
instructed them Cnnd Mr.
calfe and Immediately to investigate
the case. BristoW and Robb, with In
spector Fosnes, examined Mr.. Metcalfe
closely for two hours and he, it is
said, corroborated the facts given in
the letter Of dismissal. The postmas-
ter general later conferred with Pres
ident Roosevelt regarding the case
and the order of dismissal followed.
Mr.. Payne told the newspaper men
this afternoon that it had become his
duty to make the removal and was
step which he could not avoid. He
said that no consideration had been
given as yet to the appointment of a
successor but that the duties Of SUI
perintendent for the present would de-
volve on Mr.. Metcalfe's assistant. He
is Edward F. Kimball, of Massachu-
sets.
MetcaIfe an Iowa Man.
NIL" AnCICdIAS was Cp-
pointed from Iowa and has been in the
postal service since 1882. His salary
was $4,000 a year.
The Wynkoop, Hallenbeck, Crawford
company has been the contractor for
the money order blanks for sixteen
years. Paul Herman, the lowest bid
der for the next contract, formerly was
in the employ Of that company, as
also is Norman Metcalfe, the twenty
seven-year-o son of the deposed SUI
perintendent, who now draws a salary
of $2,250 from the company.
Mr.. Metcalfe tonight said that he
had done nothing wrong and had moth
ing to conceal; that his sons employ
ment in the bidding firm could have no
effect on the award; that he suggested
Herman's return to his old company
to handle the government work there
because he (Mr. Metcalfe) knew that
Herman's means were limited and that
a stoppage of supplies in the midst Of
contract term would have proved Sc
rious. He says that on Herman's con-
sent he wrote Mr.. Hallenback advfs-
ing ts@at Herman be restored to his
old place, and that he told Herman
he had little doubt that the govern
ment would allow Herman to with
draw his forfeit check Of $4,000.