Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-17
Recommended on TuIIock's
Postofice Charges.
Washington and New York Offices and
First Assistant Postmaster General
For Past Three Years, Need Attention,
Say the Commissioners.

charges made by S. w. Tulloch, for
,rerly cashier of the Washington city
post office, against the administration
of that Office, was made public, today.
Under instructions from the Presi-
dent the report views the IullCch
charges from d legal standpoint" The
report begins with brief history ana
nature of Tulloch's charges and says:
"The Tulloch charges have never
been, properly speaking investigated
at ALL We have been repeatedly con-
fronted in our inquiry with an assertion
on the one side and Il denial on the
other as to question of fact, with
no sufficient means at our command TO
determine which statement we could
advise you to believe.
1.-THE tendency to evade answering
these charges evinccd by those replying
to the postmaster generals request for
such answers, the report says, is illus
trated forcibly by the charges against
Perry S. Heath, formerly assistant
postmaster general, which have been
heretofore made public and his answers
to them.
1--WE consider this answer" it con-
tinued, altogether insufficient and no
less unsatisfactory in substance than
in form"
Continuing the report says the re-
vision of Postmaster WilletS accounts
of itself is sufficient to show that Mr..
Heath's official record is not so clear
as to defy suspicion. II adds:
.MCreovcr, the confidential report,
of Inspcctor-in-Charge Smith and the
special report of Inspector Little tend
so strongly to sustain some the most
serious charges made by Mr.. Tulloch
against Mir. Heath that it is quite i'm
possible to dispose of these charges by
calling them lies out of the whole
CLOTH" especially when we remember
that the confidential report is stated
by INJECTOR Smith to set forth irreg-
ularities discovered by himself, and
that the special report was prepare
a whole year after Mr. Tulloch had left
the Office. The reasonable inference to
be drawn from Heath's complete fail
ure to meet full and explicitly arcusa-
tons which charged him with many
acts of doubtful propriety added to the
facts appearing from the record evil
dencc laid before. us, obige US to say
that at least II strong prima facie case
is presented of Wilful and reckless dis
regard by the late First Assistant Post
master General, of obligations imposed
on him by the regulations of his OWL
department, as well as by the statute.
of the United States ard we feel it on,
duty TO add that suspicion of his per-
sonal integrity must be inevitably
aroused in cur Judgment by an impair
tial consideration Of the faults sub
mittcd to ue and Of his plainly made
quate explanations
The report takes up in detail tke
charges Of improper appointments OF
suhorGnatcs AMI improper disbursr-
merits of pGblic funds. as contained i'll
the Tulloch charges. and after analysis
concludes:
so far as indicated by the papers
submitted To us, the persons directly
responsible for these fraudulent en-
pigments wore Mcssrs. Perry s.
Heath and George w. Beavers, neither
of whom is now in the public service
1t seems clear. however. that this re-
sponsibility extends. in some measure,
to the late postmaster general who
appears to have at least tolerated the
practice after notice of its existence
and to- the late and the present post =
mas tcrs at Washington each Of whom
appears 10 have accepted the transfer
to his tfIJe of 4 number of persons
thus employed. without, so far as is
shown. any protest of exposure. facts
substantially admitted as 10 himself
in Dr. Merritt's letter OF June %
Tho improper disbursement of pub
lie funds receives considerable SPACE
in the report.
Touching the administration OF for
mer 4\utitor Castle. the report says
I'VE have already seen that he not
only passed the accounts for the clean
ers or charwomcn and of the assist =
ants in passing overtime claims. the
scope and character of whose services
the inspectors could not find out from,
the postmaster or anyone else Cas- TO
these. it is possible. although hardly
probable, that he may have been mis-
led, but actually allowed Mr.. Beavers
the Illegal and fraudulent claim for ex-
renses. for assisting special attorneys
before the court of claims. which as
Mir. castles own memorandum says,
really constituted salary, the salary of
an Office which Beavers did not and
could hot legally hold. and which no
one, not even the President could have
promised him SO as to bind the United
States. either legally or morally. to
keep the promise. We find ii impoS-
sible to doubt that MIR. Heath, Mr.. Van
Colt and MIR. Beavers himself all knew
the payment of this additional COM
pensation was expressly forbidden by
law and that it was called expenses
to evade this prohibition
In summing up. the report says: The
discussion of the Tulloch charges has re-
vealed the existence of deplorable and
gravey discreditable abuses during the
years 1895 1899. 1900 in the Washington
post office and the office OF the first as
sistant postmaster general The persons
primarily responsible for the above men
toned abuses and the resulting scandals
appear to have been Perry S. Heath, then
first assistant postmaster general. and
George w. Beavers, then chief of the sal
aries and allowance division, neither OF
whom are now in the service of the Unit
ed States; Charles Emory Smith. late
postmaster general: James Tillett. late
postmaster of Washington. now deceased
James A. Merritt. his successor in the
said office and its present incumbent:
Robert ]. Tracewel, comptroller. and
Henry A. Castle auditor for the post