The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1903-05-05
WASHINGTON LETTER.

no investigation OF the divisions
Of salaries and allowances and free
delivery Of the Postoffico Depai /,
meDt progresses steadily If not sen
: sationaily- So numerous have been
the charges involving the former
most of them alleging that quantities
; OF expensive goods were forced on
the postmHsters of slices in which
! the Government pays for supplies,
that Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Brlstow has requested all
postmasters of first aud second elias.
Offices To send ia the account OF
stationary aud other supplies which
have been furnished during the past
year. The sending out Of these
requests and the examination and
checking of the replies involves a.
much work that il is doubtful ifs
complete return can be prepared
before the President returns from
the west in June and as il is not
likely that any drastic measures
will be taken before Mr.. Roosevelt
returns to the city, IN any event, it
will probably satisfy all concerned
to have Mr.. Bristow's report is
rendered at that time.
The Postmaster General has
however, taken some steps TO correct
abuses which have been brought to
his attention. A number of clerks
carried on the rolls as book keepers
and charged to various postoffices.
but actually employed in travelling
around the country repairing the
cancelling machines used 10 the
larger Offices, Mr.. Payne has ordered
back to the desks from which they
were taken by Superintendent
Beavers. A clerk charged TO the
Washington city postothce whom
MIR. Beavers detailed to act a 8 his
special messenger has been ordered
back to work for which he was
originally employed and all the pro.
motions and increases of salaries
made by Mr.. Beavers under the
recent appropriation act have been
recalled for examination and re-
vision. No positively dishonest
practices have been actually proved
on Superintendent Machen despite |
the numerous charges, hut some
peculiar conduct has been traced
very close to Machen's desk. A
Senator speaking of the situation
said recently that Machen's discharge
would follow Immediately after the
Presidents visit to Saint Louis but
the Senator's correctness as a prophet
remains to be proven.
What has come to be known as
the Porto RIcan scandal, in which
are involved several army and naval
officers who have been indicted for
smuggling, is still attracting con
siderable attention because of the
persistence of the local judiciary
which insists on bringing the guilty
persons to trial notwithstanding the
request of the Attorney General
that the cases be dropped. 1t is
explained by Administration officials
that the Officers, while technically
guilty OF an Infraction of the Law
we're ignOrAn: and The cases were
compromised by the payment of
double the duty, a custom which
II is claimed is common in all custom
houses where the authorities are
convinced Of the innocent intentions
of persons detected in smuggling.
The numerous accidents which
have recently occurred in The navy
are the occasion of grave coucern to
all acquainted with The facts The
explosion on the Massachusetts, some
time ago, in which several men we're
killed; the explosion on the Iowa
which occurred recently and killed |
several more, the extraordinarily |
narrow escape Of Ensign Clement
and the gun crew on the Kearsree. |
due to defect ~ the printing and !
the more recent accident on the Iowa
which resulted in disabling the
steering gear, have followed in such
quick succession az to csuse serious
uneasness And to all of these must
he added the extensive damage suf !
iered by the new Maine a. n result "
the 6ring If her heavy gun, In he
case Of the Kesrssge, Ensign Glenn
ent attempted to Ere one Of her biz
guns. ! failed TO 90 oh and after
waiting FIVE minutes. he openei he
breeco only 20 find the powder
smoking and he had no sooner clap