The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1903-09-10

public. and Intervening itself with the
business, social and domestic interests of
all, is naturally very near to the popular
heart. Everything that affects it touches
nerve center in each community, large
or SMALL Recent investigations of alleged
irregularities in branches of the Post Of
fee Department have thus attracted pop
ular attention to an extent beyond the
amount of money involved, or the i'm
portance the direct results may be ex-
pected to justify. But the people are
| evidently convinced that SO vital public
function cannot be too jealousy guarded;
SO useful an institution must not be per-
mitted to fall into decay through care
lessness or corruption.
| In view of the interest which has thus
been aroused, and as timely historical
contribution, it may be well to rehearse
the story of the earliest recorded inves-
tigation into alleged administrations
| AN ANCIENT RECORD.
The Auditors Office, though branch
| of the Treasury Department, settles the
accounts of the entire postal service, and
is the custodian of all its financial records.
One of the Oldest books preserved among
those records is the Accounts Current
kept by Timothy Pickering, Postmaster
General, commencing Oct. i, 1913. The
trial balance for the first quarter embraced
therein shows that the total compensation
Of the Postmaster q eneral, assistant and
clerks for three months was $9o3.4o. II
further shows that the total contingent ex-
penses of the Post Office Department for
the same period, quoting the quaint Ian
guage of the entry, including office rent,
messengers wages, hre-wcod, candles,
printing of blanks, stationery, mail port
manteaus, etc." were $356.11. Certainly
there was little opportunity for serious
financial depredatiOns on the funds thus
meagerly provided. The only remaining
expenditure embraced in the trial balance
for that quarter was for the Transports
ton of the mail S11 ,505-an item for one
quarterly period of the current year would
amount to nearly $12,00O,0O0. There are
no scandals" involved in these accounts
current, and we have. NO hints OF Inyesti
cations, at that period.
| But with the lapse of time business III
creased and its ramifications extended un
til opportunities and temptations multi
| piled sufficiently to create suspicion in tine
public mind as to the integrity OF the trans
actions connected with this Department
Another worn and yellow book now before
me records incdetail the story of an official
investigation into irregularities and lille
galities constituting probably the first OF
q long series of, such inquiries.
A MISUNDERSTANDING INVESTIGATED
| The year 1820ahad arrived; James Mon,
roe was President and Return j. Meigs
jr, of Ohio, was Postmaster-General
There were then over 5000 post offices
and the revenues had increased to 1000,
600 per anpum, sum considerably IL
excess of the expenditures, which feature
seldom characterized the service after tina,
date. Vague:frumOrs of Irregularities had
been afloat in the country and i'll the pub
| lie prints" for some time, and had finally
assumed such tangible shape that reso
luton was introduced in Congress provid
ing for an investigation of the charge. A
committee of the House of Representa-
tives, of which Hon. Elisha Phelps was
Chairman, proceeded in due form and will
great deliberation to investigate the gen
eral conduct of the Office under Post
master General Meigs, aud especially thu
features which had been subjected to more
immediate criticism. Mr.. Meigs's service
as Postmaster-General extended from
March z, 1914, to June 26, 1923, periot
of more than nine years. The gravest Of
the charges made against his adninistra
ton were substantially as follows:
First-That he had introduced an ir
regular financial system which had led t.
serious losses of the public funds.
Second-That he had illegally and i'm
properly increased the compensation o.
certain contractors for carrying the mail
With slow formality and tedious reiter
- I,-tt, I,nI an
sideratiOn, the solemn committee OF TIT
Honorable House of Representatives ant
the Honorable Postma ster-General finall!
reached the point where questions wer'
asked and answered and q tolerably clea
understanding of what had really occurred
might be gained. The statement of tn
Postmaster-G General, Invested of its super
Huities and reduced to its simplest form
showed no serious dereliction in eithe
case, but read in this later day of a billiol
dollar postal service and doubts as to til
plans of Roosevelt Rex" in regard to i,
gives and almost ludicrous insight int
the diminutive transactions which thel
sufficed for this great, free, and intelli
gent Republic.
A NEW FINANCIAL DEVICE.
The Postmaster General admitted tina
he had introduced some new and untrie'
financial devices, and explained the neces
sites for SO doing. He said that unde
the former practice Postmasters at remot
frontier points, such as Nashville, Cincin
natl, ETC., had RENTED their quarterl.
balances in cash to the Department at TIL
seat of Government. The paper currenc.
in circulation at these remote points wa
not acceptable at par in Washington; con
sequently, those Postsnasters were oblige,
to make their remittances in coin. A
all letters in transit at that period passe,
through the hands of intermediate Post
masters, besides being en- route in the Gus
!, tody of many stage drivers, there was sc
rious loss caused by the disappearance
of considerable amounts of this coin on it
way from the RENTING POstmasters t.
the officials at Washington. No methot
then existed of tracing those losses o
fixing the responsibility therefor-th
J registry system had not been devised.
As means of reducing the losses thi
! incurred, Postmaster General Meigs ad
; mitted that he had invented new scheme
J not sanctioned by any express provision o
law, whereby these remittances, with tn
attendant danger of loss, were largely re
duced in number He allowed the mon
eys to remainiin the hands of the Post
masters at these remote points and drew
, against them tOlpay mail contractors ant
other postal creditors. This system avoid
ed the risk OF transporting actual casl
both ways, and would seem to have BEEF