Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-19

;hat II should be. Mr.. Tracewell expresses
a willingness to answer quickly and to per-
NIT his answer to go to the public. HIS
friends say that he has some warm matter
for Mr. Tulloch IL he has opportunity to
put it in writing and make 1t public. Mr.
Tracewell. in the meantime, declines to dis
cuss the matter for publication.
Mr.. Payne Writes Some Letters.
Postmaster General Payne late yesterday
sent letters to the controller of the treas
ury. the auditor for the Post Office Depart
ment and other officials, calling their atten-
ton to statements made by former Cashier
Tulloch in his communication of Saturday.
The letters ask for any explanation or
further Information that will throw iight
on the subject. The formal charges or MT.
Tulloch. Mr.. Payne said. have been dlS-
sected and the matter relating to particular
branches of the service referred to the bu-
reaus having Jurisdiction for report.
Mr. Payne remarked he regarded the
charge against the auditor and the con-
troller as the most serious Of the allega-
tons. He said that If those officials AL
lowed improper accounts to be AUDITED or
had suppressed an investigation at the mo-
tnent that what might be called pay dirt
was about to be hauled up. they should be
3mpeached for It,"
The charges, he declared fmpugn their
good faith and integrity. Mr.. Payne point
ed out difference which existed between
tion of law.
"a government Official" he said may
buy something which he has no authority
to purchase and no authority to pay for'
but the government gets the use or the at :
ticle nevertheless. Irregularities do not
necessarily mean anything unlawful. The
department may pay out OF the wrong
fund either by accident or by design, yet
that need not be unlawful"
He said in this connection that the charge
regarding the disallowance by the con-
troller of between $4,000 and $4,000 was
ancharge of irregularity, not OF unlawful
hess and he understood that practically
all of this sum had been subsequently al
lowed.
cit is unfair" he suggested. "to make the
public believe that the government has
been cheated out of such an amount of
money when 1t was only question of IT.
regularity in accounting.
Anent Charges Against Perry Heath.
The Postmaster General was asked re-
garding the charges against former First
Assistant Postmaster General Perry s..
Heath and George w. Beavers, formerly
chief of the division of salaries and allow
ances and as to what effect the fact that
they were out of the service would have in
the consideration of their cases.
81 have nothing to do" Mr.. Payne re-
piled with the personal relations between
Mr.. Tulloch and Indiana politicians. nor
with his hatred for the postmaster of
Washington, or others If any improper
act was done by any one now in office. or
by any one who is not now in office, so far
as it might reflect on the department. we
will investigate it,"
Discussing Mr. Tulloch's references to the
Porto Rican service, Mr.. Payne suggested
that Mr.. Tulloch was not charged with the
responsibility for the Porto Rican estab-
lishment, and that the Porto Rican estab-
lishment had no more to do with the Wash
ington Office than the Chicago office. for in
stance, except In name, which was for con-
yenienCe in administration.
He said it a physical impossibility
for Mr.. Tulloch to know whether the en-
ployes al Camp Alger or in Porto Rico, or
in the department. were performing the
labor for which they were paid
MIR. Tulloch. as cashier" he said, did
not know what work any set of clerks was
doing. Only the Postmaster General, the
assistant postmaster general or those who
had charge of that part of the work would
know. Some of these allegations that no
work was performed are now being investi-
gated. If any one has drawn money with
out doing any service we will try to get
the money back from him. We will de-
mand the recovery of the money The re-
sponsible party is the postmaster of Wash
fngton. who should have known whether
they were doing any work. l suppose the
postmaster involved is the one now dead,
Mr. Wilett
More Definite Replies.
Speaking generally. the Postmaster Gen.
eral said the original letters of the Off
Gals against whom Mr.. Tulloch made &C
cusations were necessarily general in terms;
but. now that the Tulloch letter furnish
es something more definite in the way of
charges. they will have an opportunity to
make more definite replies
Mr. Bristow" he said went very care
fully over Mr.. Tulloch's charges and he
has selected such things as ought to be
considered and Investigated
Denied by Senator Plat.
New York dispatch credits Senator
Thomas c. Piatt with having denied the
statement made by Mr.. Tulloch that for
mer Superintendent Beavers of the salary
and allowance division of the Post Office
Department had requested a high official
to use his influence to get bonding business
for bonding company which Senator
rPlatts son is interested in, saying that
P'Senator Platt would greatly appreciate
it."
THE statement is an absolute lie, and
Tulloch knew 1T was a lie; have no inter-
est. direct or indirect. in any bonding COM
pany," Senator Platt Is quoted with having
said
For Promoting Unjust Suits.
Second Assistant Postmaster General
Shallenberger has directed that Svend
Schibsby, a railway postal clerk at Kansas
City. show cause why he should not be dis
missed for promoting suits against the gov
eminent for travelling expenses of postal
employees.
There are 5000 railway postal clerks in
the country, and the purpose is to prevent
q widespread movement having in view the
prosecution of claim which the depart
ment regards as preposterous.
The position of the Post Office Depart
Ia that dpSipDatad haaduuartprc
of these clerks is the route on which their
runs are made and not the city or town
where they may happen to live.
| A case is now pending in the Court of
Claims In this city involving this question
of their travelling expenses