The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-06-14
=. o. INSPECTORS SWARM HERE
Asking Employees How They Got Promo-
linns-Sn,ne OF Them TakinE AttuaNlts.

The, post office inspectors from out OF
town who .,ave been making an investi-
cation Of the Post Office here for the last
couple of weeks apparently took new
tack Yesterday. This may have been due
to the arrival of W. F. Cochran, the chief
inspector, who came on from Washington
early in the morning.
II was noted that the inspectors were
busy questioning clerks and carriers. The
object of the questioning, it was said. was
to get information about the syndicate
which is supposed to have operated for the
purpose OF securing the promotion and in
creasing the salaries Of Post Office en-
ployecs. A number Of the employees
we're asked when they were appointed If
they had paid for appointment, through
whose influence, if any, they got their
jobs. how they came to be promoted and
similar pertinent questions.
Some of the inspectors went to the eI-
tent of taking the statement OF the en-
rIoyecs in the form Of affidayits. This
was being done at the General Post ONCE.
Other inspectors, 1t was said. were making
q tour of the branch stations.
Chief Inspector Cochran was accom-
ranied by Inspector Paul E. Williams Of
Chattanooga. Mr.. Cochran would say
nothing about his visit, although for the
Oh LIS IL Ndo o4ulouhSCu
that he was on his way to a town near
Albany to see his wife and had only dropped
in at the post Office as matter OF course.
There are now ten out OF town inspectors
known to be here and they are regarded
az the best men in the service. Most Of the
inspectors have been prominent in the
disclosures made about the post of1ce
in Washington. As a matter OF fact no one
knows Just how many inspectors there are
here except the Washington authorities.
The inspectors get their orders from WASH
inRton and report to no one here.
OF the local staff OF inspectors only one
is working with the out Of town men on the
investigation. He is Major Little and he
has been associated with Inspector Old
field, who has been working on automatic
registers for selling stamps and making
change in the post offices:
The inspectors seemed to be curious
Yesterday about the registers on the ground
and second floors where the post Office
employees are supposed to register the time
they get to work and when they leave.
With the exception Of q few Of the higher
officials every employee is supposed to live
up to this rule. The registers were exam
amined and it was found that cert ain en-
ployees who were regarded as receiving
certain privileges were registered regu-
larly But this was the query one inspec-
tor put to an official:
.What would like to know IL this: Ger
tain persons employed In this building
have been absent on certain days, yet they
are registered as having got here on time
and left at the regular hour. Now, did they
come here for the special purpose OF maxi
ing the entries at the right time, or did
somebody do it for thern?"
Each employee has numbered key
which, when put in the register and turned,
records the time and the number Of the key
the employee carries. This inspector said
that it would be very easy for an employee
who wanted to avoid the rule to leave the
kRV with some one else,
Another thing the inspectors are looking
into u the rentals Of branch post Offices
The Government, about six months ago,
renewed the lease Of the Office in the Grand
Central Station for five years at $35 oon n
Ing from the Goelet estate. His nephew.
Augustus B. Maze, is n superintendent Of
malls. There Is no charge that there was
anything wrong in the lease, but il was said
that although It was made six months ago,
II was not recorded until few days ago
A lease may be recorded at any time, how
ever
Jardnes has made long report to Post
master Van Colt. MIR. Jardines said yes
terday that this report was not To 60 to
Washington, but was for the private in
formation OF Mr.. Van Colt.
Postmaster Van Colt himself sent a num-
Der OF reports TO Washington yesterday.
He wouldn't say what they were about,
but 1t was said that they were reports from
superintendents.
There was more talk around the Post
Office building yesterday Of arrests and
Jury has its last session on Tuesday. The
June Grand Jury convenes on Thursday,
and II is believed that whatever evidence
the inspectors obtain will be submitted 10