Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27

Postmaster General Bristow informed me
that inspectors had found the same APP
parent or actual Irregularities in the Wash
ington office / advised him, according TO
my recollection. of the investigated which
the controller of the treasury had made.
and of the steps which were being taken
to rectify any wrong"
/ wish to accept the largest measure OF
responsibility which belongs to me In con-
nection with all these matters, but 1t seems
due to fairness to state certain facts. The
war against Spain, declared three or four
days later, was dated back to April q, 1885,
That was the very day on which / was
sworn in as Postmaster General. My first
duty. before even familiarfzing myself with
the department. was to make immediate
provision for the letters of the scattered
raised. followed by provision for the full
mall of the islands The administration
had been installed for more than a year.
The department force had been organized.
and, of course. it was properly accepted
as it was found When the Immediate duty
in hand was taken up, 1t was discovered
curiously enough, that there were absolutely
no records of the military postal service
presidents. We had nothing to guide US.
We had to make our own plans. The de-
termination OF the general plan and policy
devolved on the Postmaster General. The
execution OF the details devolved on the
first assistants bureau. We had at first
no special appropriation and so had to meet
the requirements out Of the regular aD-
preparation. Afterward when the special
appropriation became available we had to
recoup the general appropriation In order
that the regular service might not suffer.
These things were effected in part through
the Washington Office. and orders were
given which subordinate officials neither did
nor were required to understand. and out
of 1t has grown vast deal of unnecessary
misunderstanding.
1t is my purpose to address you respect
nf ho ri I'll yffo mi O.
sion on the subject, but that will more
properly form separate communication
The minor and unimpOrtant report Of In
spector Little made in 1860 shall deal
with in a different way.
Respectfully yours.
CHARLES EMORY SMITH
The exhibits appended to Mr.. Smiths let
ter are of great length. Exhibits and B,
as stated In the letter, present the Tulloch
charges and the inspectors report on them.
which was attached to Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Bristow's letter, IN
parallel columns for the purpose of show
ing that they are practically identical.
Exhibit c Is report on the Tulloch
charges submitted to Mr.. Smith when he
was Postmaster General, and which has
been on file in the Post Office Department
since 1892 1t takes up the eleven items Of
the charges in detail and gives the explana-
lions made at the time they were investi-
gated. Exhibit c follows:
(This Is the report which was submitted
L
loch charges and which has been on file in
the department since 1881
Item No. 1.
Employment Of E. s. Allen, H. A. Cum
minis, D. M. Monroe and F. E. Murray on
military roll detailed to Post Office De-
partment"
When the appropriation for the military
service was made by Congress the question
of extra clerks was overlooked. The dis
htYrc 3anf Of ion, md
respondence, ETC., connected Herewith. was
thrown upon the salary and allowance di-
vision. division already overwhelmed
with the regular appropriations. These
clerks WERE therefore, temporarily detailed
to said division in order to keep the work
in proper shape. Their employment, conse-
quently. was war exigency pure and SIM
pie, and fully justified by the conditions
then existing.
Item No. q.
Transfer of twenty clerks from regular
clerk roll Of Washington city post office to
military postal roll
These appointments were made necessary
by reason of the fact that early in the fis-
cal year and before the military appro
prtatfOn had become available, our regular
appropriations were heavily drawn upon to
meet military necessities: hence. toward
the close of the year 1t was necessary to
recoup In order to save a deficiency in the
regular appropriation; and for this reason
alone their employment was authorized.
The mails for Porto Rico were ordered sent
to Washington, D. c., for distribution (by
regiment and company before dispatch.
These men were either employed upon or
took the place of clerks handling military
mail. Before adopting this plan however,
the matter was carefully canvassed, and it
was considered better to employ the above
mentioned persons on the military roll than
to have a deficiency in the regular clerk
hire appropriation.
These clerks were eligible substitutes, reg
ularly drawn from the civil service regis
ter, and on July l. 1885, when the new ap-
preparation became available, they were re-
turned to the regular clerk-hire roll.
Item No. 3.
Payment of W. s. Larner. military postal
clerk, by order Of the first assistant post
master general
This account was carefully revised by
the auditor and certain items contained
therein were disa1lowed. The questionable
items have since been paid by late Post
master Willett and the account has been
allowed or passed by the auditor.
Item No. 4.
Payment Of bonds for military postal
clerks.
The payment for bonds on account of mil
itary clerks in question was made at the
time when the service was organized. Many
OF these clerks were comparatively I'M
known to the local postal authorities, and
In order to protect Postmaster Willett and
his sureties. indemnity bond was Sc
cured in each case and paid for by the gov
eminent. The controller has since con-
sidered these payments and Is rather in
clined to the opinion that the same was a
war exigency. and while not entirely regu-
lar. was not unwarranted under the circum-
stances.
Item No 3.
Purchase of items for the military postal
service. Irvine. stationery. letter scales
safes, canceling ink, furniture and mis-
cellaneous articles"
AS long as our regular stock in the supply
division was available. these items were
furnished without specific charge against
the Cuba and Porto Rico postal service
When. however. 1t was found that our reg
ular stock Of supplies was becoming ex-
hausted or depleted the goods requested in
almost every instance were ordered from
the regular departmental bidders Mr.
Helm has been the successful bidder for
the past two years on the Irvine item for
the department: Gerry Jones for letter
scales: Mosler Safe Company for safes;
Ault Wiborg Company. for canceling Ink;
BREASTED. for lead pencils; and r. Carter
Ballantyne. John c. Parker and A. o. Nash,
on the stationery items. The Yale & Towne
Company and ]. Holt Livingston are regu-