New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-03
THE POsTOFFICE FRAUDS.
How They Have Prevented Reduction in
Postage-Too Much Rural Free Delivery.

To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: Business men Of New York and Of the country
owe a great deal to The Tribune fer its persistent
effort in ferretng and giving publicity to frauds
in the Postofice Department at Washington and
elsewhere. Long this half-ounce letters could
have been carried at cent each without loss to
the government had it not been frauds against
The postofhce service and in it. Fraudulent second
class mail matter against which successive Presi-
dents and Postmaster Generals for a dozen years
have protested and in the suppression OF which
the reputable press of the country has deeper in
terest than much of it seems to realize has far
been largely instrumental in preventing justice be
ing done to those sending first class mail matter.
The present investigation of the department and
| the service shows that the government has been
| defrauded Of large sums Of money and that large
amounts Of things that net needed have been
foisted it. IF the Postmaster General vii fol-
low UP the orders OF the President believe viii
| be found that the star route frauds chd's
| play compared with those Of to-day. Prominent
officials in the department contractors OF al kinds
and modest officials in remote districts have awaited
themselves Of the opportunity to defraud ne gov
| eminent and the people.
The eX-Postmaster General points with much sat
isfaction to the fact that Congress made an appro
pr1atien for the Introduction Of rural delivery eav
ing all the details TO his discretion. With the Civil
Service system fully established he asked no help
| frem it in selecting hundreds OF employees. Every
one OF them was a political appointment. and ad-
vantage taken Of this lack Of Civil Service su-
| eervsion to put hundreds OF employees into the
| service in places that were under Civu Service
rules. Routes were established that did meet
even the requirements of his own rules. Lists Of
names that were gathered in locating routes were
sold to any who would buy them and manu-
| facturers OF material that would be needed were
advised IN advance where and when routes would
| be established.
| The writer Is familiar with the service in a quiet
inland town of some ten thousand population where
the people honest ana where the postal service
Is well conducted in other towns Of its size
1 of tha H in
! livery was established. The Congressman named
the hslf dozen rural delivery carriers. One was
| his nephew, another the the chairman
Of a district political committee. and Two others
were sons OF county ana town officials The Con
and haR to i've hours work eac6 daT sly b 1Uu[
ing horse. and wagon, may not seem great prize
an income Of one-half that amount. As soon as the
appolr tInents were made they we're transferred TO
W4th the Introduction Of the service an or
the service must provide 4 letter box and thc
ohoice was given OF two kinds, one costing s.. the
CURED SinS was not provided no neiI Vote ~ he
carrier pass within ten feet o. the door. the re-
quired box must be there Two more families
living IN the house could not use the same
malI box, nor would letters Tor those not owning
pSXes, addressed IN care of those VINO owned them
be delivered except when specified ties of relation
Dy the BOOT IN t3e hunsred or more Families that
were supposed 10 live on route there always
mail, yet stray letter or newspaper would MOI
| be delivered unless the regulation box was pro-
vided.
There are half dozen or more first class hard
ware stores IN the town whose business would be
- supply these mail boxes but they could be had
Of only one clerk IN the local Poste1ce, and ali that
were supplied were furnished by him. The price
charged was an exorhtant one, and very few would
have bought them II they had not been compelled
! 70 90 So The question Is, Who get the graft
nov much dld the two manufacturers pay, and
now much sd the local clerk pay for his monopoly
10 the city business man, at this time, the i'm
IorI1nt question, from financial standpoint Is nor
me trauas n the Poatoftice Department, important
~ lhey are so much the rural delivery itself
an ahnouncement was recently made by the Pest
once department that some thirty-eight thousand
I1fal delVery routes would he established as Con-