The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1903-06-27
Mr.. Bristow's Report.


The dismissal of Superintendent Met
calf, of the Money Order Division Of the
Postal Department, and the publication of
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Brls
tow report on conditions in the Washing
ton Postofice in 1899 1900, are extremely
interesting, if not very edifying, incidents
in the examination of the rottenness in the
Postal Department which Mr.. BristOw as
special examiner is carrying on with re-
suits. Superintendent Metcalf let con-
tract for money order blanks to high bid
ders, in whose firm his own son held
lucrative position, and urged the lowest
bidder to withdraw. The Government
would have been the loser of $40, GEO by
this one transaction.
Mr.. Bristow's report relates to the
Tulloch charges of irregularities in the
Washington Postoffiee during the Me
Kinely Administration. Not only does 1t
appear that Tulloch's charges are sub
stantiated but also that the Postothce
Inspectors made full reports on these If
Irregularities years ago. In his summary
of the papers and reports, Postmaster Cen
eral Payne says;
''The charge of Mr.. Tuloch is in its essence
against President Mckinley and Postmaster
General Smith. President Mckinley Is no
longer living; Postmaster General Smith. who
carried out President McKinley's policy, has
answered for himself. 1t will be seen that
the whole subject was taken up by Postmaster
General Smith and investigated by him.
The Bristow report is now published in
order to complete the public understand
ing of the matter 1t is very informing,
and shocking, too. For instance, it says;
''During the progress of the inspection
was advised by the Chief Inspector that Mr..
George W. Beavers, Chief of the Salary and
Allowance Division, had suggested to one of
the Inspectors that when he came to certain
appointments in some of the stations that ap-
peared irregular he had better make no refer
ence to them, as they had been ordered per
sonaly BY the Postmaster General. told
the Chief Inspector to instruct the Inspector
to report the facts as they would IN any other
inspection that did not believe the Post
master General had knowingly authorized any
irregularities. ="
Inspector Smith submitted special re
port which seemed to Bristow to disclose
glaring irregularities, and it was Submit
ed BY him to the then Postmaster General.
The Inspector thought more exhaustive
examination should have been made of the
Office of First Assistant Postmaster General
Heath, and Mr.. Bristow approved the re
commentator, When Inspector Little
was investigating the Washington Postof-
fee, complaint was made that he wanted
to know too much, but Mr. Bristow thought
the results of the Inspector ; researches
justified his curiosity, aad so said to the
Postmaster General.
In connection with the postal work in
Porto Rico, it appears that on June 30,
1899, there were only twenty-five EN-
ployes ON what was called the military
roll, but the cashier of the Washington
Postofioe was paying thirty -four persons
As on the military roll, men were paid two
salaries; there were cleaners, for whom
the Postal Department was responsible,
who were paid by the Washington Office.
and they performed DO service; Illegal and
most irregular payments of money were
made under imperative orders from Heath
expensive vouchers were not verified
there were other cleaners whose where
abouts and duties could never be discov 10
cred, but they drew their pay under the
authority of Mr.. Heath Mr. Brsiow
thus quotes from the report of one Of the
inspectors relative to three char women:
'.Mr. Beavers, Chief Of 5. and A. [Sal-
aries and Allowances Division. requested the
Inspector TO inform the Inspector IN charge
that when be struck the names Of the char
women Of the stations, II be well not to men.
ton them in his report, as they we're personal
appointments of the Post master General. and
their appointment had been authorized by the
department, and that they had been ouly
temporarily assigned 10 the stations until they
could be assigned else where
There were other illegal disbursements;
receipts were signed in blank by persons on
zlte payroll, permitting the 'rake-off
the Washington office roster was very
elastic; employees were foisted on it 80 thick
and fast that the Postmaster had a hard
time to find places for them; and 50 might
lily where the payrolls padded that thou
sands of dollars could have been saved
without impairing the efficiency of the
service
So much for the beginnings Of the an
paralleled decentralization which has made
the Postal Department, according 10 Mr..
Bristow's report, a synonym for graft,
blackmail and extOrtion. Mail pouches
have been sold for three times their value
cash registers at an exorbitant price, with
enormous profits to those who shared the
perquisites salaries have been increased
not for merit, but for pelf
1t is shameful How did it originate ?
and why was it not stopped when the
plainest evidence, furnished long ago in
the very reports which Mr.. Bristow makes
public now, were known to high officials
in the Postofice Department 1t is mys-
terry.