Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-27

branches service
regular rs the department was OF the opin-
ion that any employe receiving $500 or less
could be paid compensation on two diHef-
ent roles. Sec. So, p. l.. & r. edition OIL
1893 reads.
mo person who holds an Office the salary
or annual compensation attached to which
amounts to the sum of s., 500. shall receive
compensation for discharging the duties OF
any other ONCE. unless expressly authorised
by law (R. g., D. 176O."
AS soon as the controller OF the treasury
called the departments attention to this
technical irregularity 1t was discontinued.
Item Nc. g.
Expenses OF certain Post Office Depart
ment officials paid through the Washing
ton d. c., post ONCE.
These expense accounts were duly sworn
to and made out In the form and manner
prescribed by the sixth auditor OF the treas
ury for the Post Office Department. Vouch-
ers were furnished where possible and the
entire account regularly sworn to. This
practice of paying departmental ofncisaJ
expenses for travelling has been In vogue
for many years and has never been ques-
toned Recently, however. the controller
suggested that similar accounts be here
after paid by warrant through the disburs-
ing officer of the Post Office Department,
and arrangements have been made accord
ingly.
Item No. 8.
Cleaners"
The persons referred to as cleaners were
regularly appointed and detailed to the
post Office at Washington, d. G. The post
master was instructed. and it was part CT
his duty to have provided employment Tor
them; or reported to this department II 1t
was fact that there was no employment
for them when their services would have
been dispensed with.
Item No. 10.
Lease Of Union building for Washington
city post office"
On June "a and June %, 1898. the at
tention Of the Treasury Department was
invited to the fact that the lease of the
premises occupied by the Washington city
post office would expire on October l. OF
that year. anu it was asked that the date
be fixed when the new government build
ing would be ready for its occupancy. 1t
was also stated that the owners of the
Union building were anxious to consider
another permanent tenant for their prem
fses, and that they very much desired to
know when said premises would be vacat-
ed and at their disposal.
In reply thereto, on June 30, the honor
able Secretary of the Treasury advises as
follows. through the supervising architect:
(t1ere follow extracts from letters of the
Secretary of the Treasury Of June 30, July
and August "a, indicating when the new
building was expected to be ready. and
successfully reporting delays and post
ponement)
On July 6 the new premises were inspect
ed by committee from this department,
and the conditions as stated in the last
letter of the honorable Secretary of the
Treasury. being then clearly evident, ne
gotions were resumed with the lessons OF
the Union building, looking toward an ex-
tension of the lease ending September 80,
1898, until such time as the government
building could be made ready for our oc-
cupancy. The lessons would not rent for a
lower rental than $4,000 per annum. and
would consider no proposal for shorter
period than one year. Finally, a lease at
1880 from July l, 1898, was agreed upon,
the lease to run one year. or until the post
office could be moved into the government
building.
At this particular time it appeared that
the new building would not be ready until
the following spring, and that If the gov
eminent were to pay at the rate Of $4,000
per annum for the months OF July, August
and September, 1898. and at the rate OF
$2e'ooo per annum thereafter. the govern
ment would be loser thereby especially
II there should be any accident or unfore-
seen delay. The lease was. therefore, can
celed, and a new lease made at 500, 500
from July l, 1898, as above shown AS a
matter OF fact. however had we continued
under the $4,000 lease and been Obliged to
pay at the rate of $4,000 for October, Nov
ember and December, 1888 the result in
dollars and cents would have been the
same. The lease last made was Cancelled
December 81, 1898, by removal to the new
government building on November 80, 1893
AS fully four-ftfths Of the old post office
equipment was not moved from the Union
building the Treasury Department having
provided new equipment for the new gov
eminent building). the old premises were
required for the first few days In Decem-
Der, for the condemnation auction and
sale of the government property Having
retained possession of the premises for a
few days in December. the department was
liable for a full months rental.
Item No. IL.
Incidental expenses of certain persons
In connection with the claims Of letter car
riers for overtime charges
Before taking up this item in detail It
Is proper that a brief statement should he
made OF the conditions that induced the
Post Office Department to pay the expenses
OF the persons employed by the Department
OF Justice In the settlement of letter car
Hers overtime claims
The eight-hour law was passed MAY d
1883. Little or no effective effort was made
between 1888 and 1893 to enforce the law
This resulted In the wholesale making of
overtime; Tor which letter carriers brought
suit In the Court Of Claims Prior to 1899
a few cases were settled. but In every In
stance for the full amount claimed At
that time all testimony was in the form Of
depositions taken by attorneys who, having
had no experience whatever In the postal
service, were unfamiliar with the details
of the free delivery service and the duties
OF letter carriers. Under such circum-
stances. the government presented a very
weak defense and the carrier was inyaria-
bly, given Judgment for the full amount of
his claim. 1t became very apparent that
at that rate it would require at least 50 COO
GOO and about twenty-five years to settle
all claims.
Both Postmaster General BisselI and As
sistant Attorney General Dodge were I'm
pressed with the necessity of devising some
practice or method by which the great ac-
emulation of overtime claims might be
speedily settled and in such manner that
the interests of the government would be
fully protected. After a conference between
the Post Office Department and the Depart
ment of Justice 1t was decided that instead
of having dispositions taken in the various
offices by local attorneys. the Court Of
Claims would appoint, as commissioners,
persons thoroughly familiar with the free
delivery service to examine the records
and witnesses In the presence of the claim
ants attorneys and report their findings
to the Court of Claims.
1t was then agreed that the Post ONCE
Department would bear its share of the
expenses OF these commissioners Including
transportation.
quote from the report of the Postma ster
General for the fiscal year ended June 90
1894. as follows:
ITO expedite a settlement OF these Chains
Qetter carriers overtime clatIns) in which