The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-11-30

competitive bid and 10 cents pound
higher than had been paid before Louis
became superintendent.
Louis bought linking pads from w. G..
Long for 10 cents. when Herman Baum
garten had offered TO furnish them for
IA cents. As Long did not make them.
they were bought OF Baumgarten and
Long received a net rake or OF 1885
on years business. Louis also bought
twine for s10.95 per hundred pounds. and
was dropped to 37.45 he bought large
quantity In advance at the higher price.
He was removed Oct. "a. 1908.
The resignation OF w. III. Iandvoight
was asked when IL was found that when
dealing with the General Manifold COM
pany as superintendent OF the registry
division he had accepted a proposition
from the concern to employ his son.
Louis Kempner's administration Of the
registry division was marked by scan
dalous extravaganza I'm the use OF mani
fold books. They had been costing 22ts
cents for books containing 500 receipts.
but the price was at once made 81 10
for 1000 receipts. They were sent out TO
ofices regardless of the amount OF regis
try business they did. and as result
they cost Ss4,76s. as against $4l.4s9 the
previous year.
MONEY ORDER GRAFT.
the money order system. tried TO make
one concern withdraw its bid. which was
s44.94s less than half of Its rival. and
let the concern where his son was en-
ployed have the contract. The lowest
bid came from a man who had been en-
ployed by the other. and he agreed to the
suggestion. Metcans son received ss547
rake off" on money order books In addi-
tion TO his salary A combination of
bidders for money order supplies was al
lowed which raised the price 30 per
cent. but ON discovery by the postmaster
general new bids were called for II Is
estimated that In other ways Mr.. Metcalf
cost the department more than 100000
In 1893 August w. Machen came TO
In the hope Of securing some
kind OF federal position under President
Clevelands second administration. On
May 6. 1898. he was appointed assistant
superintendent OF free delivery. and on
Sept. 16 following he was made superin-
tendent. At that time he was bank
rupt financially. with numerous judg
ments recorded against him. When he
left Toledo he borrowed sums of money
from friends, promising to repay these
loans out OF the first salary that he re-
ceived. which he failed to do. Various
representations were made to-
secure loans, and upon one occasion he
even resorted to forgery.
BIG MONEY IN STRAPS
Within four days after his appointment
Machen recommended that a leather strap
be used by carriers instead OF twine In
tying up their mall saying that II would
cost only $3.50 year. Up to the time OF
Machen's removal over 1000. 600 strops had
been bought at a cost of $i37.217. The
straps were bought Of Lamb. In New
Haven. and TO the protest of the Wor-
cester postmaster that he could buy them
for one-half the price Machen replied that
Lamb had the contract to supply them.
He never had anything but n verbal
agreement, and had paid an intermediary
named long 2is cents on every strap.
amounting to about $4,000. which was
divided with Machen. Long and Machen
have been indicted.
Boyle g. Co. had the contract for fur
nishing satchels for carriers. and these
shoulder straps, but they were
told that the New Haven man would fur
nish the straps. Leopold j. Stern was
awarded the Boyle contract when its
four years expired. and the same specifica-
tion was made regarding straps. but5S,1o
shoulder straps were sent him from New
Haven. Stern has been indicated.
On June 30. 1902, the contract with
Stern expired, and an ew contract was
entered for a period of four years from
that date with the Posal Device and Lock
company OF New York, represented by
william q. Crawford OF Washington, ID.
C. Crawford was the deputy auditor for
the Postoffice department under the last
Cleveland administration.
PRESIDENTS MEMORANDUM.
In connection with the report President
Roosevelt said, In part:
"A melancholy feature Of the case liz
that with one exception all the offenders
-. L. 49,
government service.
II heartily approve OF the recommen-
dation of Messrs. Conrad and Bonaparte
that the statute of limitations be extended
In the case OF government servants to
period Of at least Ave years: for the per-
sons who I'm such positions OF trust en-
gage I'm corrupt practices can ordinarily
conceal their guilt for a longer time than
is covered by the present short statute
OF limitations. This recommendation has
been laid before the congress In the report
of the attorney general, and II Is earnest
ly hoped that II will be acted upon favor
ably. Moreover. our experience shows
that outsiders claiming political tnfiu-
ence sometimes sell their influence 10
candidates for Office, or In other words
blackmail these candidates. There should
be legislation which will permit OF sum-
mary dealing with such offenders.
legislation, but the punishment OF those
who offered against existing laws. The
postoffice department Is making certain
changes In the methods of administration,
notably In the method OF inspection, by
which the service will be improved and
the chance OF corruption existing without
discovery be minin,iEed: but the only way
to meet the real evil Is 10 punish the Of
tenders, by removal I'm any event, and
where possible by prosecution under the
criminal statutes. In any great business.
public or private. wrongdoing is certain
at times to occur. The way TO guard
against II Is vigorously 20 scrutinize the
character OF those appointed, carefully to
supervise their actions after appointment,
and finally to punish with relentless se-
verify those who go wrong. All this Is
being done.
The immediate reformation OF the
service by the turning out OF the offend
ers Is not In tsself enough to meet the
demands of justice. The cases against
both those within and those without
the postofficc department. who by their
acts have brought themselves within the