Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-05-30

intimate friend Of the nrst assistant post
master general. a. an onaciai drawing two
or three salaries and a. rendering no real
service, have only this to say: I found
him on the roster Of the Office when took
charge Of It: was not responsible for his
original appointment and have no reas-
on to believe there was anything improper
in it, he has drawn but one salary since my
incumbency, and I have seen no cause
whatever for disseminating hts services
He showed himself to be q man Of ability.
perfectly willing and even anxious to make
himself useful. and he has been since con-
stantly employed by me on necessary and
important work. regard him as one OF
"a. AS to Nathan H. Baker, whom Mr..
Tulloch also stigmatizes as useless en-
ploye. this statement may be made: When
1 entered the office found him on the rolls
but not In violation of law. and amounting
to only 81. 800 per annum. Mr.. Baker re-
signed, but subsequently re-entered the Of
flee. He Is not now in the government
service; but so long as he was under me he
was usefully employed.
-. With the employment Of DR.. John q.
Jones. whom Mr.. Tulloch refers to as an
unnecessary official. / had nothing to do.
and has not been connected with the Office
since. While with me he performed his
duty faithfully and conscientiously. The
Office of physician. by the way, no longer
time ago by your order, although the ap-
pOintment Of such an officer Is authorized
by law in post offices of the magnitude Of
this.
Is. As to the nine or ten persons taken
on as cleaners and charwomen, to whose
employment Mr.. Tulloch takes indignant
exception, the following are the facts: They
were all appointed before I came into Of
fce.'
The postmaster explains that one Of these
women was dropped from the rolls before
he entered the office Another never re-
ported to him at all. and was dismissed
from date of his installment Three others
named by Mr.. Tulloch have never been on
the rolls since Mr.. Merritt's appointment,
nor have they received any pay. The re-
naming five, all worthy women in needy
circumstances and anxious to perform their
duty, were continued. and save one. who re-
signed. are still rendering daily service.
Tried to Correct the Practices.
g.. The practice which Mr.. Tulloch con-
dennis. OF employing a man. for example.
as finance clerk and giving him a duty
seemingly incompatible with that position
I found in existence when came into Of
fee. It extends, am told, to probably
every large post Office in the United States.
I have repeatedly called attention to It,
There Is no real abuse in 1t, however. the
employees thus irregularly designated be-
ing all usefully employed. Mr.. Tulloch
himself admits that the men to whom
he refers as being so engaged are good
men and valuable officials, who deserve the
compensation they get. What Is more, the
law itself, as laid down in section 298 of
the postal regulations, fully authorizes the
practice. The proper way to break it up.
If 1t be considered desirable to do this. is
not to change the designation of these en-
ployes so as to reduce their compensation
for they are now getting more than
they deserve. but to recommend to Con-
gress the immediate modification of the
present unnecessary absurd, and imprac-
ticable classification of post Office en-
ployes.
T. In connection with alleged abuses in
the military postal service in Porto Rico
the Offices which were operated as sta
tons of the Washington offlce-I have
nothing to say except that the final ac-
count OF my predecessor, under whose ad-
ministradon and not mine the irregulart-
ties are said to have occurred. was prop
erly rendered by me in his behalf after
Mr.. Tulloch had refused to give him the
least assistance in the matter unless paid
therefor $500, and that 1t was settled with
the auditor without material loss either to
the sureties Of the postmaster or to the
government I notice. by the way in an
other part of Mr.. Tulloch's paper. that he
not only admits the story Of this demand
to be paid $500 by the late postmaster. but
that he defends it as righteous thing
Mr.. Wilett himself, however. looked upon
1t very differently. He Indignantly de-
nounced 1t to me as cold-blooded. avarf-
CiouS pIOpOSiliouS duu tHooo WIZ huoW
Mr.. Willett we'll, who were ava Of The
friendly relations existing for nvs years
between him and his cashier, who felt as
he did that voluntary. and unrewarded
help from the latter was to be expected
and who appreciated his keen mental dis
tress at that time, with the shadow of
death even then upon him, will. think
be disposed to regard the proposition In
the same way. Rather inconsistently. Mr.
Tulloch says that he could not have helped
Mr.. Willett, because he had no right to
go into the cash room of the post office
and examine the papers. How. them could
he have expected to help II his $500 propo-
sftion had been accepted? Again. he says
that shortly before he and the assistant
postmaster had 30 great solicitude for
Mr.. Willett that they did not dare to COM
rnunicate to him piece Of unpleasant
take $500 of the postmaster's money for a
service which every right-minded man
must think he should gladly have rendered
for nothing. In word. while Mr.. Willett
was i'll, mentally and bodily, and in the
depths of trouble. Mr.. Tulloch. instead of
aiding any sympathizing with him, pre-
ferred," as he says, ito go to the sea-
side"
Reply to Personal Charges.
8. now come to notice the things that
Mr.. Tulloch says of me personally-alle-
cations that are mostly spiteful and puer-
lie, and that seem to have no connection
with the general scope of his charges-alle-
cations too. that seem to grow out Of
angry disappointment that after holding
the office Of cashier for twenty -one years