The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-05-20
P,0, ACCOUNTS HERE CORRECT
nut THIS rs ASIDE FROM PROMO
TON SYNDICATE.
Auditor Castle Says Tu,Ioch's statements
Are Reckless and Faise-Bristows
Report on the Alleged scandal VIII
Not lie Made Before July ].


WASHINGTON, May lo.-Postmast er-Gen-
eral Payne announced this afternoon that
the nvestigation into conditions in the
New York Post Office had been completed
and it was found that the accounts OF the
office were in an excellent condition.
Mr. Payne said this statement was sweep
ing with no reservations. The formal
report to this effect has not yet been laid
before the Post master-General, but he has
received verbal notification from Fourth
Assistant Postmaster-G General Bristow.
The investigation referred to, winch
it is officially said, has resulted 80 salts.
factorly, has no relation to the inquiry
now being conducted to determine whether
the charges concerning the alleged pro
motion syndicate are founded on fact,
but means simply that the accounts OF the
office are regular and satisfactory and that
ern and efficient
Mr.. Payne said he had received no report
from Mr.. Bristow with regard to the pro
motion syndicate. and did not know what
the Investigations had revealed.
Henry Castle, auditor for the Post ONCE
Department gave out a statement to-day
severely scoring Seymour Tulloch, former
cashier of the Washington post office, for
the reckless and absurdly false statements
contained in the ls0OO-word document
Saturday. and which Mr.. Payne charac-
terized as a stump speech. lots OF glit-
tering generalities and lots of talk Audi
tor Castle statement follows.
Il have not yet received the Postmaster
Generals letter transmitting abstracts Of
Mr. Tulloch's complaints referring TO this
o1fce. but my reply will be brief prompt and
| think conclusive | shall welcome the
opportunity, for have had special satisfac-
ton in the record Of this bureau in settling
the accounts OF the Spanish war period.
We now have 800 employees OF whom more
than 400 are themselves auditors, settling
an average of more than 1900 accounts every
working day
Il see but few OF these accounts. but l
did carefully review the work which in
assume the responsibility for the set !e-
ments as finally made. Under decision
OF the Supreme Court of the United 81. &,
accounting officers are not judges OF lie
necessity or the extravaganza OF an ex-
Penditure They are only concerned a with
priation and the sufficiency of the vouchers.
Some of Tulloch's statements are reckless
and others absurdly false.
1.-THE Comptroller never disallowed $40. 600
that had been approved by this office MY
recollection now Is that less than 81 GOO was
cisapproved and that of that amount a
considerable portion was simply charged
under another head. ! will. however, re-
fresh nv recollection by going over the
official files before answering the Post
mast err Generals letter.
The Postmaste pr General i'd this morning
that copy Of the Tulloch charges would be
sent to former First Assistant Postmaster
General Heath. with a request for an eX-
PLANTATION OF such portions as referred to
that official.
Fourth Assistant PostmasterGeneral
Bristow told Mr.. Payne this afternoon that
the investigation into the many alleged
Post Office scandals would take n much
longer time than was at first believed neccs-
sary. and that he would be unable to make
his complete report by June /, as prom.
ised 1t is probable, now. that the report
will not be laid before the Postmaster
General before July |, if then.
Mr. Payne said this afternoon that the
investigation into the affairs of the Wash
ington Post Office by inspectors of the De-
partment and by agents Of the Civil Service
Commission had been completed, but that
the two reports had not yet been handed
to him.
Mr.. Payne was asked in the event Of the
charges made by Mr.. Tulloch against former
First Assist ant Postmaster-General Perry
| Heath being proved, whether that official
could be brought to account. Mr.. Payne
said he wasn't a lawyer and didn't know,
but that he was sure the subordinates who
are said to have aided Mr. Heath in putting
through irregular vouchers and counten-
ancing other violations of the laws and the
regulations could be severely punished.