Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-05-22
DEFICIT IN FREE
DELIVERY SERVICE
It Now Aggregates Nearly Quar-
ter Of a Million,
Mr.. PAYNE is VERY SEVERE
Declares IL IL "very Heprebenslbie"
For n Bureau 00icer 10 Have "A Big
Deficit Rolled Up by Way !.

washington, May 2l.-Congress win
be asked at the opening Of It's next ses-
sion to make an appropriation to cover
deficiencies IN both the regular de.
livery service and the rural free delly-
cry service OF the postohIce department
Postmaster-GeneralP PAYNE announced
today that this deficiency now aggre-
gates exactly $224467. Of which SlO5,0O0
is in the free delivery branch. The
postmaster general said he very much
regretted the existence Of the deficit,
ard for the first time publicly criticised
the administration Of A. W. Machen.
the general superintendent of the free
delivery system who Is now on in-
definite leave Of absence.
This Is not the first time that a de-
felt has occurred IN the free delivery
service said Mr.. Payne, but / regret
its existence. At the opening Of The
last Congress Mr. Machen pointed out
that without additional appropriations
nc more routes could be established be.
You'd those ready to be installed Jan !.
He said, however. II Congress appro-
priated 100000 Toy the purpose ths
work could be continued during the
rest OF the fiscal year This approprla-
ton was promptly made. hut It was
exhausted. Despite this fact the office
Qhe free delivery ohcel was going on
Increasing the deficiency and II we
hal not taken steps 10 curtail the eX-
pendltures and suspend the establish
ment of routes until the beginning ot
the next fiscal year, the deficit would
have been much larger. 1t was not
good administration"
Continuing. the postmaster general
said part OF the deficiency was dlscoy-
cred before NJ. Macheu was given his
leave.
He reported part OF II himself
Mr. Fayne added First Assistant
Postmaster General Wynne recently
reported TO me that $4,000 deficiency
existed in the rural service, and Mr..
Wynne and | agreed that by econom.
zeal measures the department might
eliminate that. | suppose that was the
amount reported 10 Mr. Wynne.'
Immediately following that report the
acknowledgement sent the following
letter to Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Bristow dated May O.
ION the 18th inst General Wynne a1-
vised me Of tie probabilities OF a de-
flclt of $50 900 In the rural free delivery,
and that II the activity Of the bureau
was kept up In the work OF preparing
to install additional free delivery
routes until July II, this deficit would
largely be increased,
1T Is my wish that there should be
no deficit Congress at It's last session
made an additional appropriation OF
Sj00 900 for the rural free delivery ser
vice, making the appropriation imme-
diAtaly available and we should cor
duct the business Of the Office so as TO
tot exceed this appropriation,
81 have, therefore, to request that
you viii investigate the situation
promptly and curtail the expenditures
so that II II be possible we will not
have a deficit at the end Of the fiscal
year. In doing this, however. It is adj
visable that care should be taken not to
suspend the actual investigation OF
proposed rural free delivery routes
more than Is absolutely necessary.
should think II entirely practical 10
bring about economies in other
branches Of the bureau which would
accomplish the result desredd,"
Mr. Bristow subsequently reported 10
the postmaster general with Q detailed
statement showing that the amount In
numbers aggregated s227 600, Mr.,
Payne said that It was not easible 70
cripple the service by suspending any
OF the service now maintained. and
that a deficiency appropriation would
be asked from Congress.
Postmaster-Gene Payne tonight, In
discussing the big deficiency in the free
delivery service, said
1T Is very reprehensble for a bureau
officer to have deficit Of 100000 rolled
up on the LIST Of May, II was bad, very
bad administration A bureau officer
should not incur a deficit without con-
sulting his superior officer, the postmas-
general ! cannot stand that kind Of
administration and do not approve Of
It, An official must be held TO a more
strict accounting. | do not say that
there was anything criminal OF any
thing wrong In Mr.. Machen's action,
but It was certainly loose adminlstra-
ton, and he should have had his bus-
ness more In hand. believe. however,
that Congress viii quickly vote the
money to cover the deficiency"
Mr. Payne said that A. w. Machen,
the general superintendent would be
given an opportunity to be heard on the
subject.
The entire map work Of the rural free
delivery service has been suspended and
no more maps will be made before the
beginning Of the next fiscal year. funds
Tor this purpose being exhausted.
Supt Machen. when told tonight Of
the postmasterg generals criticism
about the free delivery deficit. said
there had been no Intention on his part
TO deceive his departmental superiors,
He said
81 forwarded 10 Mr. Wayne at the
close Of April a statement 0f the deficit
then existing. Thoge figures were on
routes already established The 6gurfs
for routes to be established Nuy / rnd
May IS and June and June Is hal not
then been put on the hooks by the book
keeper Therefore the deficit Of s2)C0e
was not o Misrepresentation Of the ac-
tual condition Of the appropriation 90
that time.
y should have asked Congress. =, add
Cd the free delivery superintendent. "fcr
larger sum than $780, 900 which WAS
voted at the last session for the presrnt
fiscal year. The pressure Ter more rural
routes was very strong. and Welded
TO Il beyond what the appropriation
really provided The same thing has
been done In years gone by, ami on
gress has always readily voted the
money necessary to make up The ie-
felt"
Confcdcratcs Re.eleci Gordon.
New orleans, May 2i.-The actual
business O. the Confederate reunion
was brought 10 an end today and the
asieonfac adjourned ain. dfa IA mon