Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-05-07
Recent Postoffice Scandals Only
Precipitated an Investiga-
ton Long Planned
PAYNE REGRETS OCCURRENCE
A Quiet Systematic Investigation Was
Then Under Way And a General
overhauIins Planned, and the Scan.
daIs Disarransed These Plans Some
what-Tyner Incident Closed.

General Payne yesterday afternoon an
nounced that the investigation now be
| ing made by Fourth Assistant Postmas
ter General Bristow would embrace TIL
loverhauling Of most of the large post
| offices in the country, including those a
Chicago, New York, Boston. Philadel
phia, Baltimore, San Francisco, and a
other places where the yearly receipt
aggregate 100000. This supplemental
linvesu gation, Mr.. Payne believes, vii
not be completed until December, 1903
and perhaps not then, If il is found nee
essary to put in effect new methods a
many of the offices to be overhauled
Mr.. Payne said yesterday:
In the natural course of events
general overhauling of the entire posta
service was just about due. The meth
DDS of doing business now in force were
instituted during the administration o.
Postmaster General Wanamaker. Sine,
then the revenues of the department
nave almost tripled, the enormous rura
free delivery service has been added ir
its entirety, and every other branch OF
the service has increased in proportion
The department needs new and modern
business methods which will keep the
department machinery in working orde,
and enable it to run smoothly and with
out hitch or hindrance under the in
~.
the present investigation will serve &c
show that many changes are absolutely
necessary, that checks must be placed
at various points in the vast postal sys-
tenn to safeguard the interests of the
government and of the people, and that
red tape procedures ana time bound
methods must give place 20 new ways OF
transacting business.
This investigation has been given
wide publicity, but publicity did not
bring 1t on, or make It's scope any the
more comprehensive. List December,
after numerous conferences between
Chairman Loud of the postoffice COM
mittee and myself, the provision of
which / have spoken. increasing the APP
for the postmaster generals
private office from $1,000 to $4,000. was
introduced to defray in par; the ex-
penses of the contemplated general in
vestigation. This was done because it
was believed that outside help would be
necessary. This belief has been borne
out by subsequent developments. IT
was agreed by Mr.. Loud and myself at
that time that it would be better not to
begin the investigation until after the
adjournment of congress, when other
matters had been disposed of.
This decision was adhered to. The in
was well urder way and
nicely when the resignation
Of Superintendent Beavers, of the SAL
ary and allowance division, precipitated
matters somewhat. That is, it at
-racted attention to the investigation
md forced the departments hand. I
IAN frankly say that I regretted this
occurrence.
Plans Disarranaed.
Our plans had been nicely arranged
o conduct the investigation in a most
thorough and comprehensive manner
Such publicity as has been given the
llleged scandals in the department was
lot bargained for. But when it came it
practically forced the department to an
investigation of the scandals,
eserving until a future date the gener-
u investigation of the postoffice serv-
ce. and the Introduction Of modern
Methods where necessary. Mr.. Bristow
las Informed me that his report on the
candals will be ready about the first Of
une, and when it is laid before me I
hall instruct him without delay to ex-
end the inquiry to the big postoffices
hruout the country and to all branches
t service not included in his invests
alton up to June /.
Mr.. Payne said that he had received |
eplies to his letters to former POST
1aster General Smith, Fourth Assist |
MT Postmaster General Bristow, Comp
roller of the Treasury Tracewell and |
'ostmaster Merritt relative to the
harges of former Cashier Tullerich Of |
ne Washington postoffice, concerning |
in the service. The post
1aster general said that he had not |
ct heard from Tullerich with regard to |
ocuments and papers in the latters |
ossession confirmatory of the charges |
lade, but expected to do so within a |
ay or so, as he believed Mr.. Tullerich |
,as acting in good faith. Mr. Payne
lso said that Postmaster Van Colt, of |
lew York, had recently asserted to the
apartment that he had made no requi-
ltion for the expensive automobile
sed in New York to carry the receipts
the postoffice to the subtreasury,
nd that former Superintendent Beav-
rs had supplied the machine without
lgSestion from him. There is no rec
I'd on the files of the department here
lat an automobile was ordered, and
appears that Mr.. Beavers took the
in introducing the auto serv-
e in New York.
Tyner Incident Closed.
The abstraction of papers from the
,fe of the office of the assistant at
,rney general for the postoff1ce depart
ent by Mrs. James N. Tyner, wife of
lie former assistant attorney general,
now regarded as practically closed
cident. The papers We're taken on
pril 2l, and the case was referred to
lie United States attorney for the dis
let of Columbia a week later. The
after has not progressed further 1t
rs not been presented to the grand
Try, and it is not generally believed
at the grand jury will take action be-
luse of lack of proof that the papers
ken were government property.
Quick Arrest.
j. A. Gulledge, of Verbena, Ala, was