The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-06-18
DOCUMENTS SHOW
LOOSE POSTAL
SCREWS
Assistant Postmaster General
Brlstow's- Account of the In
vestlgatlon of the Washington
Postoffice Is Made Public,
Also Ex-Postmaster General
Smiths Defense.


postmaster General Payne today made
public the reply of Fourth Assistant
postmaster General Bristow to the
! charges Of Seymour E. TulIoch. for
merly cashier of the Washington city
postoffice, regarding irregularities in
the postal administration and also re-
ports of inspection and Investigation
OF the Washington postoffice by in
spection and investigation Of the WASH
1ngton postoff1ce by inspectors between
June 80, 1899, and July 81, 1900. to-
gether with the transcript OF the Tul-
loch charges made two years ago and
the conclusions thereon reached by
Postmaster General Charles Emory
Smith. These papers constitute by far
the most significant documents vet
made public as a result of the sweep
Ing postal investigation.
The reports show the existence of
many Irregularities during the period
involved. The inspector who investi-
gated the Irregularities reports that the
files of postoff1ce cases show direct or
ders from superior authority for the
disbursement of all the questionable
items contained The inspector urged
that the responsibility for the many il
two salaries to one and the same per-
son and the disbursement of thousands
of dollars for which particularly no
service was performed should be plac-
ed where 1t properly belongs and the
many abuses corrected.
= Reports Summarized.
In summary sofsthe several reports
the postmaster general says:
1.-THE charge8of Mr.e9Hl1och is in its
essence against President Mckinley
and Postmaster General Smiths
President MCKINLEY is no long
er living, Postmaster General Smith,
who carried out President McKinley's
policy, has answered for himself. With
regard to the present management of
the Washington postoffice and the con-
duct Of any and all men charged with
wrongdoing who have been in the pos
tai service under the present admins
tration thorough and searching in
Vest1gation is now being made and
when 1t is ended all the facts in the
case viii be made public, as alsoswhat-
ever action may be taken jn5yieW of
such facts
at will be seen that the whole SUB
ject was taken UP sbys Postmaster.
General Smith and investigated by
him. At the same time all matters re-
ferred to in the charge affecting the
payment of bills, accounts and financial
dealings generally were under investi-
cation of the comptroller of the treas
ury and all the expenditures referred
to We're allowed by the auditor and
comptroller, with the exception Of
$780," .szs--.ss....s..-.
Mr.. Payne quotes from the recently
published reply of Mr.. Smith. and adds
that these papers are now published
in order to complete the public under
standing, large part of which have
already been published. s-s's2 'ssss - ~
sBristow Gives Account
The letters now published showed
that Mr.. Payne wrote letter to Mr..
Bristow on May 1 last calling atten-
ton to letter published by Mr.. Tul-
loch, and asking Mr.. Bristow what
truth, if any there is in the statements.
particularly that portion which speaks
of your connection and of postoffice in
SpectorS." slstd
Mr.. Bristow's' reply gives the details
of the investigation, but adds nothing
to what has already been published.
He fncloses all the papers in the case.
A report on the inspection concluded
June 80, 1899, calls attention to "the
fact that credit has been given In the
postal account for advances and ex-
penditures for 1.-THE military stations in
Porto Rico," as follows: Value of
stamped papero advanced, $12,769: mill
tary postal service, miscellaneous. SIS
O63; military service pay roll, s3O.259
and it is suggested that this account be
promptly adjusted. more especially the
item of postage stamps and stamped
paper advanced to the following per-
sons assigned TO duty in connection
with the postal service in Porto Rico.
viz: McKenna, $2,100; Whitney, s3.O1O:
Van Alystine, $1,000; Graft, $3.50; Bris-
tow, $4,000, total, $12,769.
Drew Two Salaries.
Expenditures trregularly charged to
the Washington office and which be-
longed to the department itself are
specified In this exhibit. 1t says that
Robert V. Willett, a son of the post
master at that time, drew two salaries,
from July 1 to Dec. 1, 1898, one as q
laborer at the city postoffice at $500 a
year, and the other as a mechanic at
" day for each working day on what
appears 10 nave been a special pay roll
OF the rostoffice delivery service.
The inspector says that on June 80,
1899, tWenty-three employees were borne
on the rolls and paid on what has hcen
known as the military roll, while the
military rolf shows thirty-four names
as having been paid paid by the CASH
Ter of the Washington postoff1ce.
al
rolf OF employees, paid from miscella-
neous allowances, said appointments
being under control of the postoffice
department. This roll consists Of nine
cleaners" with salaries from $500 TO
$500, and one" physician" at a salary
Of $1,700. Some of these clean ars'
appeared to have performed very little
service and others none at all.
Didn't Give Value Received.
The most important exhibit is tn,
confidential report of Postal In
spector in Charge Smith, of the Wash
ington division, made in July, 1899,
setting forth irregularities which he
urged should be Investigated. He
names four employees on the military
roll who appear not to have perfor~- ed
any service in connection with mill
tarv posta! matters and for whose
original appointment or continuance on
the rolls no good reason exists. The
payment to w. S. Larner, a military
postal clerk, under protest, by the cash
Ter, of $118.93, subsequently disallowed
by the auditor of the treasury on Jan.
1899, is gone into at length, and IL
Is shown that this matter was entirely
Irregular and that payments were di-
rected without proper vouchers.
Attention is called to certain ITEMS