The Washington times., 1903-05-17

or the rolls of the department. as char
women. and were drawing money as
Auch when they were not doing any work
whatever in return for the money Teceiv-
ed. Mr.. Payne said that he had heard
the same charge before. that it is now
under investigation. and that three wOm-
en-, especially, who were on the char
women's roll. were having their official
histories probed into by the inspectors.
The charge that people OH The rolls
OF the department as laborers were
doing clerical work. was met by the
same argument that Mr.. Payne has ad-
OF administration. the people were ap-
pointed under one head, and employed
under another. but they did their work
efficiently and the Government did not
lose cent by the operation. The Civil
Service Commission protested against
the practice, and it had now been abol-
ished. A specific instance of this was
q letter carrier who was taken off the
street and put on clerical work in the
free delivery division. He was an able
man. discharged his duties in a cap
able manner, and no money was lost by
the transfer.
The charges by Mr.. Tulloch date back
TO the day when MIR. Cleveland was Pres
tdent. and Mr.. Wilson was Postmaster
General. but Mr. Payne said that the
charges concerning that period N post
office history were SC vague, and in
volyed that he could not make them out.
A Stump Speech"
Mr.. Payne called the forty-seven
pages of the charges which he did not
consider important a stump speech. -
end said that while he was willing to
investigate whatever was specific he
would not probe into the speech He
said that Mr. Tulloch made charges. and
then refuted them himself. AS an ex-
ample of this he cited the regulations
rquiring minor postofice officials to be
bonded in trust companies. Mr.. Tulloch
inveighed against the requirement on the
ground that it was made to promote the
interests Of certain postal officials and
politicians, but concluded by saying that
the requirement had resolved itself into
a-wise move. There was an insinuation
that Senator Plat of New York, who
was an extensive holder of stock in a
large trust company, was Instrumental
in having the regulation adopted, but
there was no proof CT his connection
with it.
Dir. Payne characterized as "a little
mud throwing the old charge that high
postal officials were interested in the
private letter box scheme which became
notorious in Washington some years ago.
The scheme was TO persuade householders
TO take the boxes. and letters recon-
mending it--purporting to be signed by
Postmaster General wilson-were shown
to prospective purchasers. Mr. Wilson
probably never saw the letters. and had
no connection with the company.
Various Officials Named
Another charge of the same sort was
that A. w. Machen, chief of the free de-
livery division, and George w. Beavers,
chief of the division of salaries and al
lowances, were interested in the Eco
nomical Postal Association. which had
for-its object the securing OF a concession
from the Government Of special rate
for return postal CARDS sent out by COM
nefcial houses. Mr.. Payne said that
there are a number of arguments in
favor OF granting the concession, ana
that II may come at some time II the
future but that mere was no evidence
onered by MT IulIoch that the Two men
named We're Improperly interested III the
association
Mr. Iulioch mace structures upon Inc
oihclaI cohduct OF Ferry I1ea'h' loi iiiei
FIRST Assistant postmaster 1ehelal' pu'
Mr. Payne SAID dhat the irregularities
complained OF had beeh thoroughY IN
Fesugateo oy comptroller lFace"eil,
ana that AFTER 'uo!'ors hau polhleu
out the NJ auHlIHls lr"'Ioh 'he
abuse 7cted and had not
fr. Fayne Vigof-
investigation into
begun IN MI Heath S
alton mad been smothered by
pert put on the work had completed his