The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-05-19
SOME OF THEM DENIED
Irregularities, He Says, May
 Not Be Unlawful.
Postmaster General Declares He Has Nothing to Do With Indiana
 "Politicians," But Will Fry Into Charges.

Washington, May 1s.-Postmaster-Gen- eral Payne today sent letters to the Comptroller of the Treasury, the Auditor of the Postoffice Department and other officers of the department calling their attention to statements made by former Cashier Tulloch in his communication or last Saturday. The letters ask for any explanation or further information that might throw light on the subject.
 The formal charges of MT. Tulloch, MT. Payne said. had been dissected and mat ter relating to particular branches of the service had been referred to the bureaus having Jurisdiction.
 MT. Payne tonight said that he regarded the charge against the Auditor and the Comptroller as the most serious of the allegations. He said that if those of- dcers allowed improper accounts to be audited or suppressed. what might be called pay dirt had been found" The charges, he said, impugned their good faith and integrity.
 Mir. Payne pointed out a difference which existed between charges of irregu- larity and of actual violation of law.
 "A Government oficial,' he said, may buy something which he has no authority to purchase and no authority to pay for. but the Government gets the use of the articles nevertheless. Irregularities do not necessarily mean anything unlawful. The department may pay out of the wrong fund, either by accident or design, yet that need not be unlawful"
 He said in this connection that the charge regarding this disallowauce by the Comptroller of between $3O,oO0 and $4o,Ooo was charge of irregularity and not of unlawfulness, and he understood that practically all of this sum had been subsequently, allowed.
 Regarding the charges against Perry &. Heath, formely First Assistai.t Posts master-General. and c. w. Beavers for. merly Chief of the Diyision of ssasaT'ff ! and Allowances, and As gs ssaaa effect the fact that Sssyss Ns2, q. ssm fts service case & s- Tayne said.
 hsVe nothing to do with t&ss personal relations between MT. Tulloch and Indi- ana politicians If any improper act was done by any one now ia 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 MT. Tullochs references to the Porto Rican service( Mir Payne sug- gested that MT. Tulloch was not charged with responsibility for the Porto Rican establishment and that the Porto Rican establishment had no more to do with the Washington office than the Chicago ornce' for fnsr'' nee, except in name, which was for cor "enience in administration.
 Speaking senerally, the Postmaster Gen. eral said the original letters of the off, ciais against whom Mir. Tulloch made accusations were necessarily general in tenor, but now that the Tulioch letter furnishes something more definite in the way of charges, they will have an op- portunity to make more definite replies.
 August w. Machen superintendent of the free delivery system, who was given an indefinite leave of absence pending the investigation, called at the depart ment today for the nrst time since his summary relief from office. He came for some personal papers he had left in his desk. Postofnce Inspector Fosnes. acting superintendent of the division, was pres ent and inspected all the papers before permitting Mir Machen to take them from office.