Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-05-09
MACHEN OFF DUTY.
Postmaster General Relieves
 General Superintendent.
INSPECTOR POSNES IN CHARGE.

Action Taken on Recommendation
 of Bristow, Who Directs Investi- gation of Department to
 Expedite His Work.
 WASHINGTON, May 9.-The inves- tigation of the affairs of the post office department, which has been dra gging along for two months, took a sensa- tional turn when by order of Postmas- ter General Payne August w. Machen, general superintendent of the free de- livery system and one of the most widely known government officials in the United States, was relieved from his duties and Post Ofice Inspector M. 0. Eosnes was designated to take charge of that service. The change will take effect at once, and MT. FSsnes will assume charge of the free delivery service, and at the same time that service will pass under the control of the office of the fourth assistant postmaster general.
 The action of the postmaster general was taken on the written recommends ton of Assistant Postmaster General Bristow, who is directing the investi- gation of the affairs of the depart ment, that the transfer of MT. Ma chen's bureau to his Jurisdiction and its administration by post office in- spector would expedite the investiga ton. Tn ordering the change recom- mended the postmaster general gave MT. Machen leave of absence until the investigation Is concluded" MT. Ma chen promptly acquiesced in the de- cision of the postmaster general, talk ing occasion to say in doing so that he courted the fullest investigation of his official conduct.
 MT. Machen has been under fire ever since the investigate began. Charges of various kinds have been preferred against the administration of the free delivery branch of the postal service. These include allegations of collusion with letter box manufacturers in the furnishing of boxes to post office pa irons, particularly on rural mail routes; the furnishing of advance in- formation regarding the selection of routes and the appointments of car rters, etc.
 There also has been conflict be- tween MT. Machen and First Assistant Postmaster General Wynne ever since the latter assumed office. Mr. Wynne charges MT. Maohen with insubordina- ton. The strained relations between the head of the free delivery service and other officials resulted in an em- barrassing state of affairs. and for sev- eral months correspondence between the general superintendent of the free delivery service and his immediate su- perior, the first assistant postmaster general, has been conducted on the part of the former through one of his Isubordinates.
 MT. Bristow all along has been of the opinion that the best interests of the service would be served by the relief of MT. Machen and has pointed out to the postmaster general that that action was imperatively necessary to the successful conduct of the investi- gation.
 Mr. Machen came here from Toledo, O., in 1893 and qualified as superintend- ent of the free delivery service on May of that year. Since then the office has grown to immense proportions, and the Rfural free delivery service has been in- troduced and extended to cover all parts of the country.
 MT. Fosnes is one of the best known Inspectors in the service. He is chief assistant of MT. Bristow in the investi- l gation. He is a native of Norway, where he was born in 1851, and his home is in Des Moines, Ia. He was once special examiner of the pension bureau and subsequently served as post office inspector at Philadelphia, Chicago, Helena, Mont, and St. Paul. He is still post office inspector in charge of the St. Paul division. He is best known in connection with his in- vestigation of the postal frauds in Cuba.