Rural Retreat times. [volume] (Rural Retreat, Va.) 1892-1918, 1903-06-26

be charged to the appropriation for
miscellaneous expenses. The names of
these cleaners-all female-are given.
The inspector states that neither the
! postmaster nor any one connected with
the Washington office was able to give
any information as to where they were
employed or the nature of their work,
and the inspector is of the opinion that
practically no service whatever has
been rendered for the money expended.
The inspector says that by the over
tapping of lease executed in 1897,
the government 1t 1925 and that the
building was paid for one month be-
yond it's occupancy.
The inspector reports that when the
cashier of the Washington postoffice
on letters from the comptroller sus-
pended payments to certain persons
mentioned he was required to continue
these payments upon direct written or
der from the postmaster who states that
he was verbally instructed in his ac-
ton by the first assistant postmaster
general" The payments were made
under the cashiers protest
The inspector cites payments to
Catherine Endsley Charles A. Machen
A. B. Hurt, H. L. Lorenz, and F. W.
| Wait, on the authority of the first as
slstant postmaster general of per diem
| in connection with claims of letter
carriers for overtime charges, aggre-
eating $4,655. The inspector says this
amount, disbursed from July 1, 1898,
to May 1, 1899, was disbursed without
authority of law. Machen, Lorenz and
Hurt 1t appears were paid per diem
covering the same period by the dis
bursting clerk of the department of JUS
tice, from the appropriation for de-
Tending suits in letter carriers claims
against the United States before the
court of claims. These parties contin-
ued to draw pay until the controller
called for statement from them.
The report Of Inspector Little on the
investigation of the Washington Of
flee, dated July 81, 1900, says that
number of clerks were added to the
rolls without request Of the postmaster
| and that the postmaster states that at
times it has been difficult to find en-
| ploymen for all assigned to his rolls.
The inspector says the roster appears
to be elastic, to be added to as cir
cumstances arise, whether the post
master requested it or not The ag-
| gregate salaries paid to these not con-
nected with the Office amounted to
$4,000.
Mr.. Smith says that the payment of
bonds of military postal clerks by the
| government was in order to protect
postmaster Willett and his sureties
when the service was organized
| AS to the dual conmepsation to O.
H. Smith, former Postmaster General
Smith says that it was the opinion of
the department that any employee re-
ceiving $500 or less could be paid
| compensation on two different rolls.
Concerning the vouchers for expenses
| of Beavers, Heath and others, Mr.
Smith says that the vouchers were
furnished where possible and the en-
| tire account regularly sworn to- He
defends certain alleged irregular ap-
pointments and says the appointments
were regular and that the postmaster
should have detailed the persons to
duty.
Mr.. Smith says it was the pastmas-
ters's duty to provide employment for
/ the cleaners appointed or to report to
the department that there was no en-
ployment for them. He says that the
department was liable for the full
months rental of temporary post
office building mentioned Concerning
the overtime claims to Lornez, Hurt,
Machen and others, Mr.. Smith says
that this expenditure was unquestioned
until May 1892 when the practice was
discontinued. Mr.. Smith contended
that the result of the investigation OF
the overtime claims was the approx
imately $5,500,OOO. was saved to the
government.
i WANT HITCHCOCK REMOVED.