New-York tribune., 1903-06-12
VAN COTT TO EXPLAIN.
HAS He TOO BIG P4YROLLf
That's What Washington Uants 10
Knosc- Official Delay Charged.
icy TELEGRAPH TO THE TRTBUNE-l ]


Washington June 11.-Postmaster Van Colt
Of New-York has been called upon for re-
kport on the apparently excessive nunlOei "a
cashiers and similar employees in the New-Ao AorK
Office. The department officials want hhAoIlila
,,n- ne IA the duties of the incunbents of the
Ney-York Office and other data, with we" 10
correcting any Irregularities shat may exist
AT the Postoffice Department to-day II was
,,fsciaTv admitted that the investigation iii'o
The affairs of the New-York Postomce' WHICH
ess bAan going On for several weeks. as
heretofore announced in The Tribune Is '-e
FIRST thorough examination Of the conoltlons
g. +ba+ of5ce which has been made for sew
.-a1 wears Inquiry as to why this was so
o,-eo1e5 the fact that whenever in the past
,-ae,,Ia rites in the New-York office have Dee'i
oefarred TO Mr. Beavers, ex-superintenoeht VI
.he Division of Salaries and Allowances ne d.
.-avs interposed objections TO an lrNeslle0'
AT such times he intimated that FH7' 40
xis-ant Postmaster General Perry HeaIh "s'
,as,onsible for such slight deviations from GUS
,o,,. as might exist and that an investigation
would be construed as at least rehecOhs oH '-
national committee. Had there been any U
ricion that dishonest practices had oeeh ies0'0
RI the inspectors would have swoopeo GOWN 0H
rhe New-York Office long before 1his' pu' '
.,-, slipb+ irregularities had come to the at
a7riO q
traced TO the exertion Of political lnnueiEe' iiO
notion was taken. o.
A., 1,cb+ Of subsequent events, however
,Aareion Is felt lest the current lnNestsa-
90, reveal grave violations of law, ana MI
.7pe.,,ar,s cautions and protests are now resa1t
90 as largely partaking Of the nature OF Dull
II &c for this reason that the inspectors uiue-
the supervision Of Mr.. Bristow are gong Sio"'S
.ns zzith the utmost care Only clews have Deeh
,enorted 10 Washington thus far, but as 'he IN
,snac+ors report first TO the chief inspector III
.be New--York Office and he in turn 10 the cIiiel
.snec+or in Washington. it naturally takes some
Time for information TO reach MI. Br1sto"' uii-
less 1t be Of such character as 10 he0es'''''0
immediate action on his part
There has been criticism in Washington OF the
.,,,,ter officials in the New-York office whose
actions at times have suggested that they were
more anxious TO obstruct than TO assist the IN
snectors in their work Those charged with the
investigation declare that this course WILL now
ever. only have the effect Of prolonglng the IN
.vestisation. which has already consumed more
time than was originally anticipated, and that
IL Will simply serve TO show the determination
of the inspectors to get at the bottom OF things
The fact that H H Rand. confidential clerk TO
tfhe Postmaster General has clearly violated the
spirit if not the letter, Of order issued by
President Roosevelt developed to-day. Mr.
Roosevelt received from postmaster nearly
year ago a letter inclosing the circular OF MN
ing company which bore the name, "Charles
Hedges superintendent of city postal delivery
treasurer" It appeared that these circulars had
been mailed to postmasters in official envelopes
and solicited their custom as purchasers OF TINS
mining stock Mr.. Roosevelt Immediately issued
an order prohibiting the use OF the name ana
official designation of any postal ofhclal on the
z1rospectus Of any mining or other speculative
company That has not prevented hano now
ever from printing the line IA ID Rano, fosl-
office Department treasurer" on the prospectus
Of a Chicago investment company, which ne mas
been mailing from his office in the Postonlce
Department.
The news which came from Baltimore TINS
afternoon that Charles E. Smith. the man from
whom McGregor and Upton had purchased mail
Ia gs on which they charged with collectlhg
3 commission. had testified that Upton told MIN
he retained but 10 per cent of the commission
demanded created a further sensation IN the
postoffice to-day. According to Smiths tesu-
nony before the United States Commissioner,
linton alleged that of the 40 per cent demanded
he received a fourth. the remainder being
divided between Machen, Machen's brother ana
McCiregor the employe implicated with Upton.
This brother Of Machen's is the same man
whom Machen carried for some time on the rolls
of the Postoffice Department as wv. A. Clark,