The Indianapolis journal., 1903-06-01
His Criticisms Could Not Have Ema-
of Conditions as They Were.
A FEW MINOR IRREGULARITIES
THESE WE'RE PROMPTLY CORRECT
ED AS THEY DEVELOPED.
Cost Of Maintaining the Military POST
al Service-Question OF Publicity
for Rural Mail Patrons.

WASHINGTON, May 31.-Postmaster
General Payne to-day made public the re-
ply Of former Postmaster General Charles
Emory Smith to the charges of former
Cashier s. w. Tulloch, of the Washington
city postoffice. regarding the postal admin
istration. Mr.. Smith says that he investi-
gated the allegations of irregularities when
they were made and that the evidence ad-
duced in most cases was believed to be a
justification of the transactions complained
Of adding that the criticisms betrayed a
lack of knowledge of conditions incident to
the Spanish war and the measures neces-
sary to meet the requirements. Mr.. Payne
said to-day that Mr.. Smiths letter practi-
cally closes the Tulloch incident, although
other documents on the subject will be
made public later. These include the re-
plies of former First Assistant Postmaster
General Heath and of Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Bristow. the report on
the former investigation of the Tulloch
charges, to which Mr.. Smith refers. and
the reports Of the postoffice inspectors and
civil-service representatives who investi-
gated the Washington postof1ce. Owing to
the great volume Of the documents, Mr..
Payne said that all of the documents. ex-
cept Mr.. Heath's reply, will be briefed, al
though the documents themselves will be
open to public inspection If wanted.
The first answer of Mr.. Smith to the Tul-
loch charges will not be made public Mr..
Payne explained that MIR. Smith had for
gotten about Mr.. Tullochs charges and the
investigation he ordered, and that until the
papers were accidentally found by Mr..
Francis w. Whitney, secretary to Mr..
Payne, 1t was not known that the charges
had been investigated at the time These
papers showed that Mr.. Smith had divided
the charges into groups. noting directions
for investigation as to each group, and SUBJ
sequently recording against each group the
results of the investigation. These results
constitute the exhibit to which Mr.. Smith
refers in his letter. Mr.. Payne said that
Mr. Smith in his prior letter had entirely
forgotten the Tulloch charges and did not
vestigated the charges Mr.. Smiths second
letter in full follows:
philadelphia, May q, 1903.
Henry C. Payne, Postmaster General,
Washington:
''Sir-I am in receipt of your letter of the
10th inst, inclosing copy of letter addressed
to you by Mr.. s. w. Tulloch respecting the
conduct of the Postoff1ce Department and
the Washington city postoffice during the
years 1898 and 1899. In reply l beg to say
by Mr.. Tulloch on his retirement from the
position of cashier Of the city postoffice
were duly examined at the time They
were taken up item by item, and exact facts
i'm each case were entertained. The results
of that examination were embodied in full
exhibit of the alleged irregularities and of
the explanations In each instance, which
is on file in the department To this exhibit
l refer as embracing a particular and de-
tailed answer to Mr. Tulloch's statements.
GENERALLY JUSTIFIED.
without undertaking to repeat here its
specific and minute evidences let me say
in general terms that in most cases 1t pre-
sents what was said to be justification of
the transactions complained of. The trans
actions mostly grew out Of the conditions
incidental to the opening OF the Spanish
war, and the criticisms betrayed a want of
knowledge both Of the conditions and of
the methods adopted to meet their require
ments. The war was declared on April 21.
1898. Within few weeks an army of 100000
men was raised and organized in camps. 1t
became necessary to provide at once for the
prompt handling Of the mail of this large
body of soldiers and their millions of friends
at home. Any failure to do so would justly
have excited universal condemnation.
"At the outset no special appropriation
was available, and the means had to be
provided from the general postal appropria-
tions. Afterward Congress made a special
appropriation for the military postal serv-
ice, to be expended entirely at the discre-
the demands of the service and making
good out of one fund what had been tenn
porarily and unavoidably drawn from the
other changes and transfers and special
employments were made which might not
be understood by those who had only an
incomplete knowledge of the facts.
1T was found expedient as a matter of
practical administration to treat the camps
and afterward for time the Offices of
Porto Rico. as branches of the Washington
office, as those of Cuba were treated as
branches of the New York Office. This in
volved the enrolment of the men employed
for Porto Rico on the Washington roll For
a time some of the extra help needed in the
way. Out of these facts ignorantly grew
some of the allegations of irregularity.
Compared with the magnitude of the
military service, not nanny new appoint
ments were made. 1t was the policy of the
department TO select trained and ex-
perienced men already in the service and
detail them for the military and island work.
During two years Congress appropriated
$500 600 for the military postal service to be
expended at the discretion of the post
master general. OF this amount s244. .e6S 55
was spent and the remainder. $685. 333. 45, was
covered back into the treasury.
Some reference has been made to the
fact that few machinists appeared to be
enrolled on the clerical roll This may pos
sibly have grown out of one OF my acts
After examining the subject / determined
to cut down the annual rental of cancel
ing machines used In the postoffices OF the
country to an extent which effected a
saving of about 100000 a year in the ag-
gregate 10 the government. In considera-
ton of this large reduction the department
agreed to take care of the machines. This
required three four machinists who
should travel from office to office for the
purpose, and direction was given that the
machinists already familiar with the work
should be employed. / am frank TO say
that do not now recall just how they were
enrolled. but II was thought that 1t could
be lawfully done In exempted places and