Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-01


Where the Allegations We're Di-
videdsInto Groups
Mr.. Charles Emory Smith, former Post
master Generak has fled his formal reply
to the Tullocl1 charges of irregularities In
the Washington post office during the
Smith administration. This reply, like those
| of Controller Tracewell, Auditor Castle and
Postmaster Merritt, has beer made public
by Postmaster Genera. Payne. Two replies
to the TuliOchscharges are yet to be made.
| These are toacome from Fourth Assistant
Bristow and Mr3Perry Heath, former first
assistant postmaster general.
Mr.. Smith sjustiffes the administration OF
the post Office during his reign. He says
that 1t was necessary to abolish red tape
in many instances during the beginning of
| the Spanish4wary&and that to person who
did not Understand the ends to be reached
the methods adopted might create suspi-
cions. eat -u.
The fact is referred to in the reply of
Mr.. Smith that he had taken up the Tul-
loch charges when they were first made by
Mr.. Tulloeh on his retirement from once,
and the result of that investigation Is what
he, uses as. the basis of his present state
ment. ,-e--. 81, ~.
The first answer of Mr. Smith to the Tul-
loch charges. will not be made-public. Mr..
Payne explained. that MI: Smith had Tor
gotten about Mr.. Tulloch's charges and the
investigation ,the. ordered, and that until
the papers were accidentally found by Mr.
Francis: W....Whitney, secretary to Mr..
Payne, it was not known that the charges
had been. Investigated ait the time. These
the charges. into groups, noting directions
for Investigations as to each. group, and
subsequently, Recording against each group
the results of the Investigation. These re-
suits constitute ssthe exhibit to which Mr..
Smith refers In his letter. Mr.. Payne said
that Mr.. Smith In his prior letter had en-
tirely forgotten the Tulloch charges, and
did not recall the name or the fact that he
had investigated the charges.
Mr.. Smiths Second Letter.
Mr.. Smiths second letter, in full, follows:
PHILADELPHIA, May q, 1903.
''Sir: I am in receipt of your letter of the
GOTH instant. jaelosing copy of a letter ad-
dressed to yohnby Mr.. s. w. Tulloch, re-
speeding the conduct Of the Post Office De-
partment ma "a; Tie Washington city post
Office durinGi thafyears 1893 and 1899.
I'm replys4lbeafo say that the allegations
of Observation-Disclosures by Mr.. Tulloch on
his retirement from the position of cashier
of the city pDStsoftice were duly examined
at the times Tz&y were taken up item by
item and thai facts in each case were ascer-
tanned. .ThaIresuAt of that examination was
embodied in a full exhibit of the alleged
Irregularities fond of the explanations in
each instance j. which is On fila in the de-
partment ;sDdb this exhibit I refer as en-
bracing a particular and detailed answer
to Mr.. Tulioohs statements. .iia .t...s
"Wifhout undertaking; to repeat here Its
specific anSaHainute evidences, let me say In
general telans that In NEST cases 1t presents
what was believed to be a justification of
the transactions complained of. The trans
incident tasfhssu p eBtns of the Spanish war,
and thee, criticisms ehetrayed a,.want of
methods meth HT Adopted TO meet their require
ments. The war was declared April II.
1885,. Within few weeks an army of
25aO0e men was raised land organized in
camps, ut BECAME necessary to provide at
once fer the prompt handling Of the mail
Of this larges body OF soldiers and their
1000 OO0 friends at home. Any. failure to do
so would justly have excited universal con-
AT the outset no special appropriation
was available, and the means had; to be
provided from the general postal -appropria-
tions.e AfterWaTd Congress made a: special
appropriation for the military postal serv-
ice, to be expended entirely at the discre-
ton of the Postmaster General In meeting
the demands of the service and in making
good out of one fund what had been tenn
porarily and unayoidably drawn from the
other changes and transfers and special
be understood by those who had only an in
complete 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 Por-
to 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 department was provided for in the
same way. Out of these facts ignorantly
grew some of the allegations of irregularf-
compared with the magnitude of the
military service not many new appoint
ments were made- 1t was the policy of the
department to select trained and expert
enced men already in the service and detail
them for the military and island work. Dur
ing two years Congress appropriated $780,
COO for the military postal service, to be e:,-
pended at the. discretion of the Postmaster
General. Of this amount $40. $685. was
spent and the remainder, $3.50, 333. As, 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 l determined
to cut down the annual rental of canceling
machines used in the post offices oe the
country to an extent which effected a saw
ing of about 500 900 a year in the aggregate
to the government, In consideration of this
take care Of the machines. This required
three or four Hachinists. who should travel
from office to office for the purpose and
direction was given that the machi,lsts al
ready familiar with the work should be
employed. am frank to say that do not
now recall just how they were enrolled but
1t was thought that it could be lawfully
done in exempted places and no more red
way of what was believed to be for the
good of the seapies.
'"rbe examination of the alleged irregu-
Iaritfes In .thse CONNECTION of the department
with the washington effice as already
stated, JUSTIFIED most Of them. should not
| be altogetheri eafidid il did not say that
in some casss was not convinced of the
necessity OF propf4ety OF the transactions.
These questionable transactions consisted
for the mostd partlof placing on the roll
| few persons the need of whose services was
not clearly shown. When these facts de-
yeloped the s1ropeF officers were instructed
that every protesting which could not be
justified should be remedied and stopped.
ut is proper for ane to add that Mr.. 1uI-
~ sI1xx,er he