Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1903-06-02
makes ANSWER
!! !! TO ACCUSATIONS.
Postmaster Merritt, Of Washington,
in His Own Defense.
TRUTH OF CHARGES

In Turn He Presents Complaints of
Serious WronE-DoinE Against Exc
Cashier Tu11och, Author of Ac-
cusations Against Him.
Washington, May 80. - Postmaster
General Payne has made public the
reply of Postmaster Merritt, of this
city to the Tulloch charges. He en-
phatically denies the truth of Tulloch's
statements regarding his administra-
ton of affairs of the Washington Office.
The Merritt response makes serious
accusations against former Cashier s..
w. Tulloch of the Washington post
Office, saying that transaction in
which Mr.. Tulloch was concerned in
1898 appears to comprehend the
presentation Of false voucher, which
is made crime by the statutes" Mr..
Merritt's reply further alleges that
receipts were signed in blank on the
pay rolls during Mr.. Tulloch's regime
as cashier and that the files do not
indicate any complaint of irregulari-
ties against the Washington post Office
fled by Mr.. Tulloch while, he was in
Office. Mr.. Merritt says the general
practice of giving employees duties
seemingly Incompatible with their po-
sitions is no abuse, and that the prac-
tice of paying certain expenses Of the
post Office department out of the Wash
ington city post Office funds always
has existed, and is proper.
The reply of Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith will be givenont
Sunday. Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Bristow's reply, which will be
made public later, according to POST
master General Payne, denies that he
ever asked investigation of the office
of the first assistant postmaster gem
eral. It is probable that some tempo.
rary arrangement will be made with
the cancelling machine contractors, in
case the investigation continues be-
yond July /. The contracts have been
held up and the manufacturers are
making inquiries on the subject.
No Indication of Wrong-Doing,
The postmaster general announces
the completion of the investigation OF
the salary rolls of all the first and
second-class post offices in the coup-
try. The only. Irregularities reported,
all of which have been ordered to be
corrected Immediately, were the pay.
ment to IA assistant postmasters'of q
larger salary than they should re.
ceive under the departments policy:
payments to few clerks of more than
the law allows, ard the existence Of
designations unknown to the law for
positions in II post offices. Mr.. Payne
said that none of these items indicated
any wrong doing, and he regarded this
net result Of the overhauling of the
rolls OF upwards Of 1900 presid entia
post offices as gratifying.
Salaries Reduced.
Washington, May 3o.-As result
Of the thorough overhauling of the
rosters Of the post Offices, Throughout,
the country, Postmaster General
Payne Friday announced his approval
OF Instructions reducing the salaries
Of assistant postmasters at the fol.
lowing second-class post offices to 50
per cent. of the salaries of the re.
spectiye postmasters:
Cairo, H.; Clarinda, Ia East ST
Louis, III, Flushing, Frsdonia and
Genera, n. Y, Freehold, N. j., War.
rem, Pa, Hagerstown, Nd, Ports
mouth, N. a., Stamford, Conn, Stey
ems Point, Wis, and Ponce and saI
Juan, Porto Rico.
Must Conform to Law.
He has found SO officials in thu
postal service who hold offices unde,
designations not authorized by Law
and directed that their positions be
changed to conform to the law gov
erning them. They were in the fol
lowing Offices: New Orleans, New
York, Boston, Brooklyn, Buffalo, Gin
cinnati, Detroit, st. Louis, Washing
ton, Chester, Pa, Los Angeles, Louis
vile, Nashville, Newburgh, n. Y.
Utica and Chicago.
win Correct Violations.
| Among these designations not au
thorized by law are superintendent,
OF stations" (although there is q
superintendent for each separate sta,
toni; auditor Of stations, ..inspec
tor OF stations" etc. Violations Of
the law which fix the maximum sal
airy OF clerks in second-class post
Offices at $1,000 q year, except in thu
case OF assistant postmasters, Will
be corrected at Leadville, Col, New
Brighton, N. Y. Tarrytown, N. Y.
San Juan, Porto Rico.
To Reduce Salaries.
The investigation disclosed eigh1
post Offices at which in all 13 clerks
receive more than the salaries te
which their designated positions al
assistant superintendent" entitle
them, and in these cases the post,
master general has directed that the
salaries be accordingly reduced
This order affects two positions in
Louisville, KY, two in New Yorl
city, one in Brooklyn, one in Phila.
delphia and Detroit, four in St. Louis
and two in Boston. The maximum
salary of these positions by law is a
stated percentage of the salary OF
the postmaster.
Operative July 4.
The postmaster general has direct.
ed that such of these changes as In
yolye corrections of the violation OF