The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-06-02
FORMER POSTMASTER GENERAL
SMITH SAYS He PRoBED IN.
IRREGULARITIES.
RESULTED FROM IGNORANCE
CRITICISMS BETRAYED LACK or
KNOWLEDGE INCIDENTAL 70
SPANISH WAR.

WdsulHSIOu, june l.-POGCmaSL9r
General Payne has made public the
reply Of Former Postmaster General
Charles Emory Smith to the charges
of Former Cashier s. w. Tulloch Of
the Washington city postofice regard
ing the postal administration. Mr..
Smith says that he investigated the
allegations OF irregularities when they
were made and that the evidence adj
duced in most cases was believed to
have been a justification Of the trans
actions complained of, adding that the
criticisms betrayed a lack of knowl-
edge incidental to the Spanish war
and the measures necessary to meet
the requirements.
Mr.. Payne said that Mr.. Smiths let
ter practically closes the Tulloch in
cident, although other documents on
the subject will be made public later.
These include the replies of Former
First Assistant Postmaster General
Heath and Fourth Assistant Postmas-
ter General Bristow, the report on the
former investigation of the Tulloch
charges. to which Mr.. Smith refers,
and the reports Of the p~ostoface in
spectors m civil service representa-
tives who Investigated the Washing
ton postotfice. Owing to the great
volume of the documents, Mr.. Payne
said that all Of the documents except
Reply Will Be Briefed.
Mr.. Heath's reply will be be briefed,
although the documents themselves
will be open to public inspection, If
wanted.
The first answer Of Mr.. Smith to
the Tulloch charges will not be made
public. Mr.. Payne explained to say
that Mr.. Smith had forgotten about
Mr.. Tulloch's charges and the investi-
cation he ordered and until the pa
pears were accidentally found by Mr..
Francis w. Whitney, secretary to Mr..
Payne, it was not known that the
charges had been investigated at the
time. These papers showed that Mr..
Smith had divided the charges into
groups, noting directions for investi-
cation as to each group and subse-
quent recording against each group
the results Of the investigation. These
results constituted the exhibit to
which Mr.. Smith refers in his letter.
Mr.. Payne said that Mr.. Smith in his
prior letter had entirely forgotten the
uitoA SAdi 6SS duu ulu uOL REGAL
the name or fact that he had investi-
gated the charges.
Wants Order Rescinded.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster Gen
eral Bristow has recommended to
Postmaster General Payne that the or
der directing the posting of names of
residents on rural free delivery routes
in the postoffice on those routes be
rescinded. No action has yet been
taken on the recommendation.
Mr.. Payne said that he believed the
publicity attained through the order
would add $1,000 900 a year to the
postal revenues and, in this way,
would help to make the service self
sustaining, and that he believed the
publicity was in line with the doc
trine of "the greatest good to the
greatest number"
Mr.. Payne said the objections to
the publicity given the James of pa
irons came from the country newspa-
pers which are made more subject to
competition from the large papers;
from the country store, which loses
by the invasion Of the aggressive ad-
vertising of the large merchantile
houses in the cities; and the whole
sale stores ofthe cities, from which
the country storekeepers get their
stock; the mail order houses invading
their field. Mr.. Payne said that he
would welcome an intelligent public
discussion of. the question.