The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-12-01

ment, the leasing Of postoftice build
ings, Of letter boxes, the purchase Of
worthless machinery at extravagant
prices, the awarding OF contracts to
favored bidders all these things enter
ed in the postoflice world Of graft"
The game was played from the At
lantic to the Pacific The extent Of the
corruption may be gathered from the
statement made by Mr. Brlstow that
the brides and erake-offs'' which went
to the pockets Of postofiice officials
alone were between 100000 and $500
600
Mr. Bristow does not attempt 10 esti-
mate the amount Of money lost by the
government 1t Is certainly many times
the amount II graft that the indicted
officials obtained IT probably reaches
into the millions. Mr. Bristow says the
profits Of the offenders are small COM
pared with the total loss Of the govern
ment.
10 illustrate, Machen received 81, COG
in bride from the Croft fastener. Yet
the government lost $4,000. Beavers
and his associates received less than
$4,000 for the automatic cashier. The
department unnecessarily expended
s74275.
Perhaps the most interesting part OF
the presidents memorandum accompa
nying General Bristow's report is his
indirect reference to the indefinite
charges made against Perry S. Heath,
the secretary Of the Republican nation
al committee, who was first assistant
postmaster general in the Mckinley
administration and who is popularity
regarded as quite as guilty or more 50
than the officers who have been in.
dicted
The president expresses no opinion
MS to the guilt or innocence Of Mr.,
Heath, contenting himself with call
ing attention to the fact set forth in
the Bristow report that Beavers. the
former chief az tie salaries and allow
ance division Of the fourth assistant
postmaster generals office, who is now
under indictment. made direct charge
that in at least one instance he was
compelled To share bride money with
Heath. a statement that, It is admit
ted In the report. Heath denies. and
the evidence in support Of which was
not regarded by the district attorney
ais sufficient to warrant his indictment.
The president expresses regret that
the statute Of limitations applies at the
expiration Of three years from the
time Of the wrongdoing Of officials and
urges that the time limit be extended
to at least i've years. as recommended
by the attorney general. This is gen
orally taken to mean that Heath would
be prosecuted if the law did not oper-
ate to prevent 1t.
The Presidents Memorandum.
President Roosevelts memorandum
is in part as follows:
The investigation made BY SIR. Bristow
discloses a condition OF gross corruption
IN the Office Of the FIRST assistant post
master general and in that Of the assist
ant attorney general for the postofiice de-
partment In the case OF the superintend-
ont OF free delivery, Machen, the evidence
shows that his misconduct began irnne-
diately after his appointment In septem-
ber 1883. In the case Of the general super
intendent Of salaries and allowances. Bea-
vers. It began soon after he was appointed
to that place IN 1897 In the case Of Assist
ant Attorney General Tyner 1t has gone on
for a number OK years. but It Is impossible
70 say exactly when 1t began. A melan- /
choly feature OF the case Is that with one
exception all the Offenders have been for a
number of years IN the government serv- 1
ice.
James y Metcalf, superintendent money
order SYSTEM appointed postoflce inspect