The sun., 1903-03-27
THB POST OFFICE SCANDAL.
CHARGES AGAINST MACHEN ARE
BEING INVESTIGATED.

Certain Suppaiea for the Department
WASHINGTON, March N.-The moro that
the administrations Of Mr.. Beavers. super.
allowances, end Mr.. Mschen. superiussnd-
ent OF the free delivery division OF the
Post 0hboe Depsrtmsnt. are probed the more
apparent 1t becomes that the President
is determined TO curb the alleged tendency
10 extrGvasancs. Apart from the charges
that Beavers snd Mschen have built up
for themselves Q Chinese wall Of influence,
purely personal. 1t l. charged that thsy
have BEEN extravasant in tho administrs-
ton Of their oficss, that there has been .
lavish distribution Of supplies and equip
ments for post Offices over the country,
that clerks have been en- ployed where not
needed, and that public money has been
wasted In the purchase Of commercial ar
ticles. II il charged also that they have
been interested Ia contracts for Furnishing
certain supplies. that recently one make
OF typewriter TO the exclusi on Of all others.
was placed In all the post ofi1ces Of tho
country. and that patented time ciook
received similarly favorable consideration.
First Assistant Postmaster General
Wynne, who b now aoting In the absence
Of PoH mast er General Payne, was one Of
the first 10 feel the weight OF the personal
influence OF his subordina,es. He dis.
covered that Congressmen TRANSACT I'd
business directly with Mr.. Beavers ard Mr..
MAohen. who were getting undue credit
for the performance OF what should have
been considered mere routine Of the Depart
IneDt. II was never necessary for mem
bers Of Congress OF ot hers interest ed tn free
delivery OF he mails and the essablishment
Ss ssysTy for 20 Msssn ss the s.e Poi g.
ways able TO attend to the matter, and It
was always upon Mr.. Machen's recon-
mendation that the higher oiV7cers Acted
In this way, II h said, Mr.. Machen built up
for himself an influence which was suf-
OF salary by Congress- without the recon-
meAdaa ION OF the Postmaster. General.
while the recommendation Of PostmAster-
General Payne for oeF7A ain lncreAses for Of
hclais higher than Mr.. Maohen or Mr.
Tho difRoulty Of probing the conduct
o. nr. beevers And Mr. Machen, because
OF their influence with Congress, was rccoe-
nised by the Postmaster General and his
assistant, but thcy determined TO stop
IN IN M soms way the increasing expenditures
make change In the personal besds Of the
di6ersht burSaus. IL h charged that dur
ing Mr.. Beaverss administration the cx-
pensee Of hts othoe have jumped enor-
mously. The disbursements for clerk hire
States At tho time he came into ONCE
amounted to about olo, ,oo0,o 900. but this has
now leapsd 10 about e1s 900 900. There
are other chargee also involving extrava-
ganoe that II = promised will be brought
which u being conducted by four post
ofsos inspectors.
The principal charge against Mr.. Maohen,
peryonally, In that he was connected with
. scheme to favor a certain make Of mail
box 10 b used ON rural routes. It Ia alleged
that he furnished advance information
TO the oeSoers OF the company nanufactur-
ing this box - 70 the establishment Of new
routes, In order that they might get on the
ground nrst and thus practically do away
Il E Known tha, Pos,master-oener~I
Payne ordered the Investigation to be made
during his sbssnos. and that Mr.. wypne
u merely Hry0G out the oroeSe o. his
supsrior. Mr.. Wynne says he would be
Mr.. Maohen. but that ne has been con-
vinoed ever sanoe his entrance into ofioe
that things were not a. they should Be
In the salary and allowance and rural free
delivery divisions, and that his efforts
have slmply been directed toward an in
the Truth might BE- known.
A Mr.. Machen says he does not intend
10 resign, the invcstigatioa wfn take ita
natural course and no action viii Be- taken
until Mr.. Peyns's return, when the truth
Or falsitv Of the charges against the ac-
Sussa ofr,S,s ,hs os M H car nrc,a.a Relations lions
strained. and whatever the result of the
be one or more resignation or removals.
IN. q, coo o.c ,.e,,,n.... ...., pv,o
WASHINGTON, March ,s.-secretary Root
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