Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-02
Asked for City Post Office Records.
Denied by the Controller.

Denied by the Controller.
Although Controller Traceweu said to a
Star reporter today that 1t would be i'm
proper for him to state what his answer to
the Postmaster General would be, this
answer was foreshadowed in the following
statement made to the reporter by Mr.
Tracewell:
There is not the slightest truth In the
charge that the investigation of the ac-
counts of the disbursing officer Of the city
post Office in 1900 was called off by me
owing to political pressure. 1t is also false
that the expert engaged in this investiga-
ton was removed or detailed because of
disclosures he was about to make or had
made. There was never a more vigorous
or rigorous investigation of a government
Office than this one, and 1 believe this is
corroborated by all who know of it. l re-
member that there was good deal of talk
about 1T at the time, the same charges that
are now made having been made by Mr.
| Tulloch. There was much published in the
newspapers. and just before / sailed for
Europe l gave the newspaper reporters and
correspondents access to the papers in the
entire case, and to all the letters that had
passed. l was told today by the represent
tatives of two papers of Washington that
they had investigated the case thoroughly
at that time, and had reported to their
papers that there was no truth in them so
far as the facts showed.
Thoroughly Investigated.
1.-The fact is that this Office made such a
thorough and comprehensive investigation
that the auditor for the Post Office Depart
ment complained that his settlement of ac-
counts was being delayed much beyond
the usual time. My recollection is that the
investigation covered about four months
and that a number of the experts in my Of
flee were engaged in 1t. Nothing was con-
cealed at the time in any direction and this
is too we'll known.
with reference to the charge that the
expert who had begun the investigation
was switched Off desire to say that this
Is false and the facts in this incident are
too easily ascertained for the charge to be
believed. The expert who was put on the
investigation was one of the best men ever
in my employ. At least I SO regarded him.
In the course of his work for my Office he
had made himself obnoxious to a number
of officials. Attorney General Griggs him
self complained to me that officials in this
office regarded the expert as obnoxious
Mr.. Perry Heath, assistant postmaster gen.
eral, and A. L. Lawshe, at that time dep
uty auditor for the Post Office Department,
made the same complaint All these men
thought the expert ought to be discharged
I told them that I could not do this and
the mater rested there. although l sug-
gested that they make charges against him.
They did not care to do this. ,-.~s.sa ~. So.
Expert Was Transferred.
Finally. Assistant Secretary vanderIip
brought the matter to my attention. saying
1
against the clerk that he thought the man
ought to be dismissed from the service.
argued against thiai Anildt was at my sug
geStion that the exDasf MAS detailed to an
other office. in which he,is still employed
want to sayythat THE Akpertshad at that
time finished his; work in connection with
the investigaffoAvandh usdb mdde his report
to me. He was noAo taken on the work at
all. his transfer having been made after he
Rad rendered his raportsp After he had fin
ished the Investigation swas taken up by
expert passed uponbys Others, finally reach
ing me-" aW %sx s--t..
Postmaster Merritt Talks.
Postmaster Merritt waa asked last night
whether disbursements had been made in
hts ofice without al written record Of them
being kept. as intimated1by Mr.. Tulloch in
mo; not during my ny iinssaimbency." was his
reply. -
He admitted there had been some In
stances where clerks and other employees
had been borne on the rolls Of the city
post office. and had. been detailed to work
In the Post Office Department
Postmaster General Payne this afternoon
characterized as mere twaddle., the rumor
current about the department. and which
had Its source In New York, that Senator
Lodge bad fntimated that unless Mr. Ma
chen was discharged he, Payne. would be
forced from President Roosevelt's cabinet.
Surely. have no knowledge Of any such
condition" Mr.. Payne said.
Smith Denies Charges.
The Phtladelplda Public Ledger of this
morning says: Former Postmaster General