The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-06-08
BeIittIes the Charges Made by Mr..
Merritt I'm His Letter to POST
master General Payne.
REPEATS OLD ALLEGATIONS
INsINUATEs THERE WE'RE ExTRAy-
AGANT EXPENDITURES,
And that Money Was IrreguIarly and
UnIawfulIy Paid Out-A Re-
ply to Perry $. Heath.

WASHINGTON, June 7.--Seymour W.
Tulloch formerly cashier Of the Washington
city postofice, under date OF June 3. has
written a letter to Postmaster General
Payne in response to replies received frcm
Postmaster Merritt, Of the Washington
postoffice and others TO the charges OF mall
administration made by Mr.. Tulloch against
the management Of the local postofiice.
A large part of Mr. Tulloch's letter is in
defense of counter-charges made by Mr..
Merritt against Mr.. Tulloch. Mr.. Tuloch
says that the charge that under his CTul-
loch's) regime as cashier of the Washing
ton postofice quarterly pay rolls were re-
quired to be signed In blank. even if true.
would but produce smile in Washington.
where probably the greater portion OF gov
ernmental employees sign pay rolls in
blank" But he says that the fact is that
this custom, usual elsewhere, was prohit-
tied eighteen years ago by the then post
master, and the only pay rolls signed in
blank were when postal clerks at a distance
or other employees expecting to be absent
were. at their request and as personal
favor, given the privilege of signing in ad-
vance. the last requiring the voucher going
to the auditor to be personally signed by
the employee. He says that at the time Of
payment all figures had been previously
filed in, and that false payments could not
but have been detected easily, and fraud was
imposed. The charge that "a false voucher"
had been put in while Mr.. Tulloch
cashier, he says, was only an attempt 10
discredit him. and even Mr.. Merritt admits
that the transaction was directed by the
postmaster. recognized by the assistant
postmaster. and the money retained paid to
persons duly designated" The facts how
ever. he says. are that substitutes named
by the Civil-service Commission served the
postoffice without pay, except when they
filled temporarily the places of clerks and
to pay their substitutes the postmaster d-
rected that previous to payment of clerks
who had. been absent the signed receipt in
full OF the substitute should be put In the
clerks pay envelope and the amount il
called for retained and paid to the substi-
tute by his division superintendent. The
particular instance cited by Postmaster
Merritt, he says, was where an employee,
after drunken spree, was fined rather than
dismissed, and the money divided by his
superintendent among substitutes for serv-
ices rendered, the postmaster by written
order directing the cashier to do this. Mr..
Tulloch declares that while in office he did
| report Irregularities to his immediate SUI
| periors and the inspectors He denies the
charge that he was mercenary with the
wilett himself suggested payment TO the
writer for settling his accounts, and that
he (Tulloch) offered to do it for Mr.. Willett
personally for nothing, but later 1t was
arranged some of the clerks should do the
work, which related chiefly to Porto Rico
| Mr.. Tulloch's letter then continues: I'm
closing. may 1 state that 1t has not been
shown to the contrary in any of the re-
plies you have published that irregular
payments were made from local funds in
stead of by the proper dsbursing officer
| OF the department, that an attempt was
made to cause all employees to bond under
a single blanket bond with some favored
company; that the regulations Of the de-
partment were violated in forcing a let
| ter box. in which prominent officials were
| said to be Interested, on the public even TO
| the unauthorized use of the postmaster
authority and against his protest; that
| payments were directed for articles not de-
| livered; that persons We're paid two or
three salaries and performed little no
servlcei That q physician was Illegally ap-
| pointed, whose position was a sinecure.
have been told that a $500 operating table
| was purchased for private use and charged
| to the department postal furniture; that
| or division with high officials in the depart
ment; that persons were appointed from
whom no service was required upon a
complimentary roll; that arrears in Porto
| Rico were not fully recovered; that useless
Junkets We're frequent to Porto Rico and
Cuba; that persons paid from the military
postal service had their salaries continued
| for months after ceasing all service and
| that salaries were also continued after
service had ceased to take up irregular
| expenses
AS to the reply of Former First Assist
ant Postmaster General Heath, Mr. Tul-
| loch says: "All that is necessary is to COM
pare my specific charges with his general
denial" He then reaffirms that his repre-
sensations remain in all essential particu-
lars true and not disproved, and closes with
| gift OF the Postoffice Department that he
would accept, or that he ever authorized
his friends TO seek his reinstatement.