The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-06-24
MORE PosToTFICE SCANDALS.
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As d result OF alleged .nd!screu":l IL
II matters pefralnin.; = tl'a A"Afi :,
contracts ;or printing Jhe :aos!es '';-
der fornS II thc gor2rnnls.1I, j " '''c"
z. aIetcalf, IoI g0any Tea!S s'pef'il-
1eadent. OF the m0ney' order S;stem o!
fhe aostortice department. "Wednesday
vas removed from office by the post
master general The dismissal IS the
rasllr OF acts OF Nr. Metcalt in op-
position to the Did of Paul Herman Of
rutherford, n J.. the lowest bidder
bv $4,000 and in favor of the next
highest bidder. the Wynkoop, Halien-
beck. Crawford company OF New York
OF which Mr. Metcalf'S son is an en-
ploye. The story is briefly told in The
letter of dismissal signed by Pcstmas-
ter General Payne: which says:
The charges upon which your re-
moval is based relate 70 your actions
iu the matter of the letting of the
contract for money order forms. These
charges were made known to you
Wednesday morning, and transcript
of your answer thereto is enclosed
herewith.
It appears from your answer tnat
when the proposals of the different
com petitors for the contract for sup
plying money order forms were opened
Paul Herman Of Rutherford, \. d.
formerly employed as foreman BY the
Wynkoop, Hallenbeck. Crawford com
nany of New York, by which company
! it seems your son is also employed,J
was found to be the lowest bidder, his
proposal being $4,000 below that OF
next lowest bidder. namely. the Wyn-
koop. Uailenbeck, Crawford company:
that the bid of Mr.. Herman as sub
mitted was regular in form, and that
he had deposited a certified check for
| S. 900 as a forfeit. 1t further appears
that within day or TWO the Wyn-
koop, Hallenbeck, Crawford company
fled a protest against awarding the
contract to Herman, alleging that he
was not financially responsible: that
a short time thereafter Mr.. Herman
called at your office, and you advised
him to Withdraw his bid and reenter
the employ of Wynkoop, Hallenbeck,
Crawford company, understanding at
the time that such withdrawal would
result in the contract being awarded
to said company and consequently in
loss to the government: that you Of
/ fered to write, and did write, a letter
to said company, apprisinS it Of your
interview with Herman. and using
YOUR good offices in his behalf; that
YOU advised Herman that his $4,000
deposit would probably be returned to
him if he adopted your suggestion.
1t further appears that you regarded
| Mr.. Herman as possessing the me-
chanical qualifications requisite to the
proper performance Of the contract.
and that it was not any part OF your
duty to pass upon the question OF his
responsibility. financial or otherwise.
It further appears that hearing has
been had before Gen. Wynne, upon
the question of the financial response
bility of Mr.. Herman: although it
has developed, since the submission OF
your answer Wednesday morning,
that you discouraged the granting Of
such a hearing and manifested de-
sire that the contract be awarded to
the Wynkoop, Hallenbeck. Crawford
company.
Mr.. Metcalf originally was appoint
Ell from Iowa and has been in the pos
tai service since 1882. His salary was
50, GOO year. The Wynkoop, Hallen-
beck, Crawford company has been the
contractor for the money order blalks
for Is years. Paul Herman, the low
est bidder for the next contract. for
merly was in the employ Of that COM
pany. as also is Norman Metcalf, the
27-year-old son Of the deposed super
intendent, who now draws a salary of
81, ,250 from the company. Herman
assisted in the drawing Of the specii-
cations for the contract and when the
bids were opened it was found that
Herman had become competitor Of
the old company, underwriting their
bid by about SIS, 900. The company
protested against Herman's bid on the
ground that he lacked the facilities for
doing the work, and Herman asked
for a hearing, which First Assistant
Postmaster General Wynne gave last
Monday. Mr.. Metcalf was opposed to
the letting of the contract to Her
man on the ground that he was not
able to do the work