River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-12-03
PRESIDENT ON
POSTAL FRAUDS
Bristow's Report on Results of His
Investigations.
SOME EXTRACTS ARE GIVEN
President Roosevelt Declares Punish
ment of the Guilty Is the Prime
Need Other Comments
ON the Case.

lengthy ana exhaustive report OF
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
j. L. Bristow on the postal investiga-
ton has been made public, as well as
President Roosevelt's comments rela-
Mr.. Bristow says:
THE system of organized corrup-
ton that has been disclosed began in
1893 and continued until stopped by
this investigation The amount OF
money secured by the corrupt officials
and their confederates is small as COM
pared to the total loss to the govern
ment. To illustrate: There is no evil
dence that Louis received any compen-
sation from Ault & Wiborg, yet during
the first year of his administration the
expenditures for canceling ink in
creased over $4,000. 1t does not ap-
pear that Kempner received money
from the manifold company, yet the
cost of manifold supplies increased
more than $4,000 year. Barrett re-
ceived but $4,000 from Arnold, yet that
company defrauded the people out OF
over $3,000,000 Machen probably did
not receive more than $4,000 from the
Croft fastener. Yet the government
has paid approximately $l5O,000 for
that device, which represents a net
loss, since the department continued
by the terms of the contract for letter
boxes to, pay for the original fasten-
ers Beavers and his associates re-
ceived less than $4,000 from the auto
pended $74,275 for this wholly unnec-
essary machine. The total amount
that the perpetrators of these frauds
themselves received can not be def
nitely learned, but it will aggregate
between 100000 and 100000, while
the loss to the government, considering
the unnecessary supplies that have
been purchased, and the inferior quail
ity of those furnished by fraudulent
contractors, can not be estimated with
any degree of accuracy.
GAS the gross abuses have been
brought to light they have been prompt
ly corrected by the proper department
tai officers. Contracts where fraud has
been discovered have been annulled.
AS a result of the investigation four
officers and employees of the depart
ment have resigned and IL have been
removed Forty-four indictments have
been found, involving 81 persons, ten
of whom have been connected with the
postal service. Attached to this re-
port is a list of those who have been
separated from the service by resig-
nation and removal; also a complete
list of the indictments and the persons
involved.
Some Suggestions.
"The results of the investigation
demonstrate that all travelling agents
of the department-such as assistant
of salaries and allow
ances, of the free delivery service, the
railway mail service and the registry
system and nspectors-should be
placed under one organization. A num-
Der of changes should be made in the
of the department in or
der to provide more perfect check
system on the operations of various
divisions, and some restrictive legis-
lation affecting the divisions of sal
aries and allowance, of rural free de-
livery, and possibly others may be
necessary. What the service most
needs. however, is honest, intelligent,
and vigorous administration. The cor
ruption disclosed is not due to lax
laws, but to the dishonesty of those
who have been charged with the re-
sponsibility of administering them.
Memorandum of the President.
setting afoot the investigation, the
president says:
1.-THE investigation made by Mr.. Bris-
tow discloses condition of gross COR
ruption in the Office of the first
assistant postmaster general and
in that of the assistant attorney
general for the post Office de-
Dartment In the case of the superin-
tendent of free delivery, Machen, the
evidence shows that his misconduct be-
gan Immediately after his appointment
IN September, 1893. In the case of the
general superintendent of salaries and
allowances, Beavers, it began soon after
he was appointed to that place in 1897.
In the case of Assistant Attorney Gen
eral Tyner it has gone on for number
If years, but it is impossible to say ex-
actly when it began A melancholy fea-
.ure of the case is that with one excep-
ton all the offenders have been for a
number of years in the government serv-
lce."
A list is given of the IA post Office en-
oloyes in the service at the time this in
resignation was begun, who are appar-
emily most seriously implicated in the
together with an account
Of the steps that have been taken by the
government in each case. A list is also
given of 20 persons outside the postal
service against whom indictments have
been found, and in several cases more
han one bill was returned. The presi-
lent continues:
Three Chief Offenders.
'The three chief offenders in the gov
,rnment service were Tyner, Machen
and Beavers. The friends OF Tyner have
advanced the theory that in mis- case the
,hlet oHendSr was really MS nephew ny
marriage, Barrett, who was his assistant
n the Office for a part OF the time, and
hat Tyner's offenses are due to his fail
ng bodily and metal powers. The facts
;et forth in Mr.. Bristow's report do not
end to substantiate the validity of these
excuses for Tyner, while they show
literally astounding misconduct in Bar