Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-03-24
The Process, STEP by Step.

1.-The responsibilities of the law officials
of the department are. therefore. very great.
and precipitate action is to be avoided. Ac-
cording to the established custom, which is
very rarely departed from in cases In which
the evidence submitted indicates prima
facie that the mails are being used i'm
properly, and in violation of these statutes,
the party charged with such violation is
summoned to appear before the assistant
| attorney general for the Post Office Depart
ment In Washington and to make such an
swer or defense to the charges preferred or
such explanation concerning them as he
may desire to offer.
after a full hearing a brief Of the evil
dence submitted for and against the ac-
cused, and Of the conclusions reached by
the assistant attorney general Is forward
ed to the Postmaster General, by whom
final action is taken. This consists either
of the issuance of the fraud order to which
L have referred against the person or con-
Germ in question, or a dismissal of the
charges
I'm some cases the notice to appear is
ignored, and in such action is taken in the
absence of the party accused; but in most
instances the parties summoned do appear
and vigorously contest the action proposed
by the department. Frequently these hear
ings cover period of several days, and
some of them have been of as much as two
weeks duration.
These statutes are of incalculable value
III preserving the Integrity or the mails,
and afford to the public in its use of this
medium protection against loss by fraud
that could probably be secured in no other
wav.
Activity Of the Law officials.
"The activity of the law officials of the
department may be briefly shown when it
Is remembered that during the fiscal year
last past 1853 calls were issued to persons or
concerns to appear at the department. In
Washington and make answer to charges
that they were using the mails In the op-
Grafton of fraudulent schemes or lottery
enterprises. Pursuant to these calls there
were ninety-two hearings. while most Of
the other parties upon whom notice was
served submitted their answers in form of
briefs. Fraud orders to the number of o47
have been issued by the Postmaster Cen
eral. of which sixty-three were directed
against the promoters Of fraudulent
schemes. nineteen against foreign and ten
against domestic lotteries and fifty-five
against what are known as bond invest
ment and 'debenture companies and which
were found to be carrying on, by means Of
the postal establishment, plans or schemes
involving fraudulent or lottery features. or
both.
Publicity of the operations of these
fraudulent concerns. and of the work OF the
department in unearthing and closing them
out, will have much to do with placing the
public on their guard. The country NAV
be said to almost swarm with swindling
concerns that are alleged to have to do
with investments of the money of their
Clients. and it is fairly astonishing, as the
press reports show, though well known to
us, how the public. in the mad rush to get
rich quickly on nothing. pour their earnings
and savings into the hands of men whose
sole object is to defraud
when 1t is remembered that capitalists
are glad to loan their funds on real estate
security at from to per cent and to the
government at per cent, it is almost be-
yond belief that sane persons of small
means can be guiled into giving their
money to strangers to invest and then in
nocently believe that they can receive a re-
turn Of from 10 to so per cent on their
money. 1t actually makes one question
their sanity, yet but for the operations of the
law and inspection officials of the depart
ment, where these persons are now number
ed by the hundreds they would be numbered
by the thousands"