The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-18

LIE OAL4 AAAE II
June 90. 1893. twenty-five employees
were borne on the rolls and paid on
what has been known as the military
roll" while the military rolf shows
thirty-fOur names as having been
paid by the cashier OF the Washington
pOstofhce-
A Special Roll"
There was also found a special roll"
of employees. paid from miscellaneous
allowances. said appointments being
under control OF the .pOstOffice depart
ment. This roll consists of nine
cleaners with salaries from $500 TO
$500. and one physician at salary
Of S1.700. Some of these cleaners ap-
pear to have performed very little ser
vice and others none at all
The most important exhibit is the
confidential report Of Postmaster IN
spectOr in Charge Smith of the WASH
ingtOn division in July. 1883, setunS
forth Irregularities which he urged
should be investigated. He names four
employees On the military roll who ap-
pear not to have performed any SER
vice in connection with military postal
affairs. and for whose original appoint
ment or continuance on rolls no good
reason exists
Entirely Irregular.
The payment to W. S. Larner a mil
itary postal clerk. under protest by
the cashier. Of S11S.93 subsequently dis
allowed by the auditor of the treasury
on January 4. 1899. is gone into at
length and it is shown that this mat
ter was entirely irregular and that
payments were directed without proper
vouchers. The inspector says that
while the cashier was out of the office
temporarily, and having left no in
SfTT1cfiOnS M final ma vT1ar1f pOII16 be
made to Larner until his expense ac-
count was adjusted by the auditor
Larner called and demanded an I'M
mediate settlement and when settle
ment was not made at once he ap-
pealed to the department and the act
ing postmaster, on demurring further,
was Informed by the department that
the Washington Office held a letter
from the first assistant postmaster
general directing payment to be made
to Mr.. Larner and If that was not good
enough perhaps it would obey one
signed by the postmaster general The
amount was finally paid under written
instructions. On December II and Il
Mr.. Larner was requested to call at
the Washington. office and furnish in
formation required by the auditor and
return $S.16 over payment of salary OBJ
tanned by Misrepresentation. but no
answer was received to such request.
Attention is called to certain items Of
expenditures authorized for the military
postal service Of supplies. furniture.
s.. 1000. with the statement that whether
the foregoing items were purchased in
the ODen market or as result of competi-
tive bids, the Inspector is unable to say.
but that the prices paid for some of the
articles enumerated, such as washstands
at $40 each. appear to have been highly
excessive and lead to the belief that the
feature of the competition did not enter
into the transaction.
Smith Was a Favorite.
Attention is called to additional irregu-
larities in connection with payrolls of
clerks and labOrers and to charging
premiums on the bonds of the military
postal clerks Notwithstanding such eX-
penses are not chargeable to the United
states. An interesting feature concerns
irregularities IN the appointment. COM
penSatiOn and promotion of Oliver H.
smith On Nov 20, 1897, the first assistant
postmaster general authorized an allow
ance of $500 per annun for his appoint
ment as labOrer, stating that the free
delivery division would allow 81 per day to
cover car fare and incidental expenses.
Smith drew pay from Nov. Is, 1887, to Nov.
30, 1898. making his compensation for one
year S1,34S60. The inspector reports mo
one has certified to the actual time Smith
was employed nor has any statement
been attached to his pay vouchers show
Ing what particular service he rendered.
He was continued in the dual capacity of
clerk and mechanic until April l, 1898,
when he was promoted to be finance
clerk at s17O0 a year"
On "oRciaI Business"
Attention is next called to certain
vouchers authorized to be paid by the
first assistant postmaster general, such
as July 2, 1895 expenses of Perry S.
Health and George ". Beavers. incurred
IN visiting Philadelphia and New York
on official business, S17-75; July IS eX-
penses Of NJ. W. Louis and B. W. Taylor,
travelling on official business, S5O.l5. The
inspector states that these vouchers do
not appear TO have been femiZed in the
proper manner, nor is the necessity for
the expenditure of this money by the
Washington pOstOffice apparent, and that
a full and complete explanation should be
made.
Rendered no Service.
Attention is called to seven cleaners,
placed on the payroll of the Washington
Office under authority of the first assist
ant postmaster general to be charged to
the appropriation for miscellaneous eX-
Denses.
The inspector states that neither the
postmaster nor any one connected with
the Washington office was able to give
any information as to where they were
employed or the nature of their work,
and the inspector is of the opinion that
practically no service whatever has been
rendered for the money expended.
In conclusion the inspector states that
the files Of the cashiers office show fully
direct and positive orders from superior
authority for the disbursement of all the
questionable items mentioned in the in
spectors report. that the responsibility
for the many illegal appointments, the
payment Of two salaries to one and the
same person, and the disbursement of
thousands Of dollars for which practically
no service was performed should be
placed where il properly belongs, and the
many abuses corrected. The inspector
cites payment TO Catherine Endsley,
Charles A Mahon, A B. Burt, II. l..
Lorenz. John s. Leach and f. w. White
on the authority Of the first assistant
postmaster general Of per diem in con-
nection with claims of letter carriers for
overtime charges, aggregaung $4,655
The inspector says this amount was dis
bursed without authority Of law.
The report of Inspector Little on the
investigation Of the Washington office
dated July 81, 1900, says that a number
of clerks were added to the rolls without
request of the postmaster, and that the
postmaster states that at times il has
been difficult to find employment for all
assigned to his rolls
Philadelphia Cricketers Win.
London. June 1.-THE Philadelphia
cricketers today won their match with
the Worcestershire team by an inning