The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1903-05-20
POSTOFFICE FRAUDS.
WOMEN WERE ON PAYROLLs
FOR SALARIES BUT NEVER
APPEARED FOR DUTY.
Postoffice Allowances Used for
Junketing Trips for Political
Friends Of Heath and
Others in Authority
Other News.

Others in Authority
Other News.
Washington, May II Develop
ments todayin the postoffice frauds
are most interesting. S. w. Tullock
for twenty odd years cashier of the
Washington postoffice. made pub.
lie a letter sent some time ago to
Postmaster General Payne rela-
tive to the frauds. Among other
things, ex- Cashier Tulluch says in
his letter:
.For upwards of 10 years." the
letter recites, ''the conduct between
the Washington City postoffice and
1.-The Postofice departm was
regular; then. came the first break,
the precursor of system of allow
ances to the Washington postoffice
on account Of departmental expen-
ditures, which afterwards led to
Irregularities, abuses, extravagan
ces, and removal of an obstacle on
June 80 1899.
considerable feeling was mani
tested toward me in the office of
the First Assistant Postmaster
General because I would not pay
vouchers for services or supplies
upon personal request or by direct
ion over the telephone. J. Holt
Livingston presented vouchers one
afternoon, amounting to several
hund red dollars, for postal furni-
ture. I refused to pay until the
allowance was received. I was in
formed thatit would be sent down
by private messengers as soon as
it was signed by the First Assis-
tant Postmaster General. I again
refused.
"Mr. Livingston departed quite
angry and some time afterward re-
turned with the allowance properly
executed and still damp from the
copying press. It was for a ship.
ment of furniture, as I remember,
to Cuba or Porto Rico. No one had
certified as to the receipt of the
goods and I called the attention of
Mr.. Livingston to the omission.
He explained that it would be all
right and that he needed money.
i .''I decliued to pay unless some
responsible official would acknow-
ledge the receipt Of the goods, WI here
upon Mr.. Livingston became COZ
fidential and told me his company
did not have much capital, for that
work had not yet even been begun
upon the furniture, but that
"George"had agreed to advance him
the money in advance. It is need
less to add no payment was made.
"On account OF the intimate re-
lations between the department
and the Washington Office, verbal
directions often accompanied the
written orders and were far more
interesting. For example: The
Postmaster one day brought me
an allowance Of the First Assistant
Postmaster-G General; salary and al
lowance division, July q, 1898
appointing Emma James and Fam
ME R. Winans as cleaners or. char
women for one year from Jnly 1,
1898, at $50 per annum'
Handing me the allowance he
stated that it was the intention of
the department that the names of
any women should not appear on
any payroll; that the parties des-
ignated should not know that the
other was in receipt of any money
or had any connection with the
Office. He also stated that Meth er
of them was expected to report for
duty. This complimentary roll
was added to later"
Mr.. Tulloch says that the classi-
fcation act of March 2, 1889, was
ignored by First Assistant Post
master-General Heath, and that
sundry persons designated finance
clerks, auditors and etc, were paid
illegally from 5000 to $500 each
per annum over their lawful salar-
les. With only one or two except
ions the appointments of cleaners,
charwomen,, laborers, etc.. he says,
were evasions of the civil service,
and the parties did not perform
the duties implied in their official
designations-often no service
whatever. Transfers were made
by the Assistant Postmaster. Gem
eral from outside Offices without