The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1903-04-17
9 P. o. SCANDAL

M1na General Payne Saws Il,
WIZ Sift Charges to the Bottom.
washington. April 15.-poatmas+a,
$50 Payne yesterday Afternoon
save out a statement in which he an.
soeo that the investigation Of thu
anairs OF the postofice department,
"ouio De continued, and tina anv ner.
son round guilty of wrongdoing viii h,
.at with summarily. The statemen,
Is as follows:
DurlIg the months of January and
nspi'lary information and renort,
leaSned me which I deemed IL for tht
pupAlc interest to investigate. and ]
gathered such Information
anae lacts as would enable the rrone,
y onleers or the department to undertake
~ .1eIough investigation as to the trutr
lastly OF these reports. 1 directed
pou.tn assistant Postmaster Genera,
ins.;t@ 10 take the proper steps tt
hsu.ute n necessary inquiry. usin1
LOT mat purpose the postofice insnecs
III . DIVISION, and such other method,
as would thoroughly ascertain the
e.utn or falsity Of the charges or in.
slnuations made, and he was i~nstructe6
20 proceed promptly and with yigor dur.
ing my absence.
Guilty Will Be Punished.
Slnce my return this morning I hav.
not seen General Bristow. SO that T am
not advised of the progress made. The
investigation will continue, and if an,
is disclosed the persons
guiity OF such wrongdoing will be sum.
Marty dealt with. If the system OF
-.ealou OF doing business in the de.
partment Is faulty the proper remedies
VIII be applied without fear or favor
I lnaugurated the investigation with
Inc determination that it should be ex.
nausllve. 1t Is proper for me to ado
ina l laid before the president the in.
nat which I had in my posses.
SION, and that he fully approved of the
action proposed by me-"
me Whole administration Of the post
ohlce department is made subject tt
the investigation under the postmaste,
generals direction, and the inouirv vii
be made as thorough as the depart.
menus most expert inspectors car
make it,"
Won't Act Too Hastily.
AT the same time Mr.. Payne's purpose i
10 give fair and just treatment to all con,
cerned, and not to act arbitrarily ant
with undue haste. With this reason it car
be stated that no changes of importanc,
IN the personnel Of the service are nov
contemplated, and changes will depend
largely on the report to be made BY
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Genera
BrlstoW on the investigation, although de
Velopments meantime may necessitat,
some deviation from this policy. The of
nee of the assistant attorney general TO
the postoffce department is among tn,
bureaus included in the general inquiry
and until the investigation Of affairs gen
orally Is completed 1t is probable hat NJ
successor to Assistant Attorney Genera
Tyner will be named. Postmaster Genera
Payne did not reach the department unit
4 o'clock yesterday afternoon. A sI.re o
newspaper men were awaiting him will
queries concerning the postoffce investi
CATION, but he parted all questions will
remarks on his trip to the West Indies
He expressed particular qualification a
what he had observed of postal condition
in Cuba, and said his observations il
Cuba and Porto Rico would be helpful t
him in administering the postal service.
MI. Payne summoned a number of tn
officers of the department, and held shor
conferences with them respecting posta
affairs. About an hour later he gave GU
his statement. Subsequently he held quit
an extended interview with Fourth AS
sistant Postmaster General Bristow.
1t is learned that it will be several week
before the postoffice inspectors will b
able to complete the work. When the.
| have finished Fourth Assistant Postmas
ter General Bristow will prepare a com
prehensive report on the whole subject
| The report necessarily will embrace mat
| ters in which publicity may not be war
| ranted, so it is probable some parts Of tn
| repor. will be withheld from publication