Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-22
FIND HUGE POSTAL DEFICIT
Payne Announces POstOfioe Department is
1927, 300 Behind
MAcHEN is DECLARED MUCH TO BLAME
Postmaster General Decides 20. Ask
Special Appropriation IN Decem-
ber, but Meanwhile Rural
Delivery is Crippled.

WASHINGTON, May 2.-Consress will
be asked at the opening OF its next session
to make an appropriation to cover defcien-
cies in both the regular delivery service
and the rural free delivery service Of the
Postoffice department. Postmaster General
Payne today announced. that this deficiency
now aggregates exactly s227,sOO of which
500, 700 is In the free delivery branch.
The postmaster general said that he
much regretted the existence of the deficit
and for the first time publicly criticised
the administrs ton of A. w. Machen, the
general superintendent Of the free delivery
system, who is on indefinite leave Of alb
sence. B
This is not the first time that a de-
flciency has occurred in the free delivery
service" said Mr.. Payne. hut regret its
existence. At the opening OK The last con-
gress Mr.. Machen pointed out that without
additional appropriations no more routes
could be established beyond those ready to
be installed January /. He said, however,
IL congress appropriated 100000 for the
purpose the work could be continued during
the rest of the fiscal year. This appropria-
tion was promptly made, but 1t was ex-
hausted.
Despite this fact the ONCE (the free de-
livery ofiice) was going on increasing the
deficiency, and II we had not taken steps
to curtail the expenditures and suspend the
establishment Of routes until the beginning
of the next fiscal year, the deficit would
nave been much larger 1t was not good
administration" ..t. ..st
Dehcit Much Undefestimated.
Continuing. the postmaster general said
| that part of the deficiency was discovered
before Mr.. Machen was given his leave.
He reported part OF 1t himself" Mr.
Payne added. First Assistant Postmaster
General Wynne recently reported to me
that $4,000 deficiency existed in the rural
service, and Mr. Wynne and myself agreed
that by economical measures the depart
ment might eliminate that
| Immediately on receiving Mr.. Wynne's
report I wrote to Mr.. Bristow;
"On the 7th inst General wynne advised
me OF the probabilities Of a deficit OF $50 C0t
| IN .the rural free delivery accounts, and
| that IL the activity Of the bureau is kepi
up in the work Of preparing TO install ad.
!, this deficit would largely Be increased. @ SI
| Il nave, therefore to request that you will
Investigate. the situation promptly and cur
ts taii the expenditure so that, tf II be pos
end of the fiscal year. In accepting this
however, 1t Is advisable that care Bhoulc
De taken not to suspend the actual In
| vestigation Of proposed rural free delivery
routes more than is absolutely necessary
should think II entirely practical to brinl
| about economies in other branches OF tn,
bureau which would accomplish the re
suit desired.
Mr.. Bristow subsequently reported Will
detailed statement showing the amour
In round numbers aggregated seq. 800, o.
which $l06700 is in the free delivery serv
ice. then said 1t was not feasible to Grip
pie the service by suspending any of tn,
service now maintained and that a de
hciency appropriation must be asked from
congress"
Puts blame ON Machen.
Later In the day Mr.. Payne sagain. tool
up the matter, saying:' 1t Is most repre-
hensible for a bureau oficer to have a de
hcit Of 100000 rolled up on May /. II wa
bad, very bad, administration.
A bureau officer should not incur a de
hcit without consulting his superior of
hcer, the postmaster general. 1 canno
stand for that kind of administration. Al
official must be held to a more strict &C
counting. l do not say that there wa
anything criminal or anything wrong, Ii
Mr.. Machen's action, but 1t was certainl,
loose administration. and he should hav
had his business more in hand. believe
however, that congress will quickly vot
the money to cover the deficiency
Mr.. Machen, he continued, would b
given an opportunity to be heard on tn
subject The entire map work on the rura
, free delivery service has been suspende
J and no more maps will be made before tn
beginning of the next fiscal year, fund
, for this purpose being exhausted.