The Batesburg advocate. [volume] (Batesburg, S.C.) 1901-1911, 1903-06-24

Office department." This roll con.
SITS of nine cleaners" with salaries
from S400 to 5000 and one "physi-
clan" at salary of Sl,70O. Some OF
these cleaners appear to have perl
formed very little service and others
none at all.
The most important exhibit is the
report Of PoStotlice Inspector in charge
Smith OF Washington division, made
i'm July, 1899, setting forth irregulari-
ties which he urged should be investi.
gated. He names four employees on
the military roll who appear not tC
have performed any service in con.
ncction with military postal matters
and for whose original appointment
or continuance on the rolls no good
reason exists. The payment to w,
=. Larner, a military postal clerk. uns
der protest, by the cashier of SllS.93,
subsequently diSallowcd by the au-
ditor OF the treasury on Jan. 4. 1899
is gone into at length and it is show nj
that this matter was entirely irreg4
ular and that payments were directed
without proper vouchers.
Attention is called TO certain items
of expenditures authorized for thd
military postal service of supplies
| furniture, travelling expenses, aygre]
eating 2S, 80. 20, with the statement
that the prices paid for some Of thj
articles enumerated, such as waslI
stands at $40 each appear To havj
been highly excessive.
Attention also is called to addi|
tional irregularities in connection with
payrollS Of clerks and laborerS, and I'd
! charging premiums ON the bonds od
military postal clerks, notwithstand}
ing such expenses are not chargeablC|
to the United States.
An interesting feature concerns irI
reguIariticS in the appointment, con
penSation and promotion of Oliver III
Smith. On Nov. 20, 1897. the frs
assistant postmaster general authorJ
lzed an allowance Of 5000 per aunuuI
for his appointment as laborer, StatI
ing that the free delivery division
would allow s. per day TO cover ca
/ fare and incidental expenses. SmitJ
drew pay from Nov. %, 1897, to J
I 30, lS9S, making his compensation
FOR one year approximately $l,3lShio
The Inspector reports mo one 460
certified To the actual time ha.
was employed nor has any stat Smitl
| been attached to his pay vQ$men
showing what particular ser Scher:
rendered. He was continued yce Id
/ dual capacity of clerk aud nr=Ap tie
until April |, 1899, when he wsklanic
NOTED To he finance clerk at s pro-
per annum. The inspector sfl 70u
knew OF no authority OF law GS he
/ appointment a. pronnotiou. his
Attentions next called
Spector to certain voucherl lhor,
lied TO be paid 10y the first tStant
| postmaster general, such as EXPENSES
/ of Perry S. Heath and George w
! Beavers, travelling on official business
/ The inspector states that these Souch
erS do not appear to have been itemiz
ed in the proper manner, nor. is the
necessity for the expenditure of thi.
money by the Washington poStolice
! apparent.
Attention is called to seven cleaners
placed on the pay roll Of the Wash
! ingtOn office under authority of the
first assistant postmaster general, tC
be charged to the appropriation fol
miscellaneous expenses. The name.
of these cleaners all females-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 o.
their work, and the Inspector is o
opinion that practically no servic,
whatever has been rendered for tn,
money expended.
The inspector says that 10y the over
tapping of Il lease executed in lS9'
the government lost $625, and tina
the building was paid for one month
beyond its occupancy.
The Inspector reports that whel
the cashier OF the Washington post
ofice on letters from the comptrulle
suspended payments to certain per
sons mentioned he was required L,
continue these payments upon direc
written order from the postmaster
who states he was verbally instructed
in his action by the first aSSiStan
postmaster general.
Iha payments were made under TIN
cashiers protest.
The Inspector cites payments t,
Catherine EndSley Charles a. Mach
en-. 4. Is. Hurt, III. l.. Lorenz. JOIN
:. Leach and f. w. Wait, on the au
thority of the first assistant post
master general of per diem in conncc
tiOn with claims OF letter carriers fo
overtime charges, aggrcgating 81 900
The inspector says this account, dis
I bursed from July /, 1898, was disburs
ed without authority Of law. Machen
LorenZ and Hurt it appears were paiC
per diem covering the same period b
the diSburSing clerk of the department
. OF Justice, from the appropriation 70
. defending suits in letter carrier.
claims against the United States he
, fore the court OF claims These pal
, ties continued to draw pay until TN
. comptroller called for a Statemeu
, from them.
The report Of Inspector Little o
, the Investigation Of the Washingto
| uiliCc dated July 81, 1900 says that
81 number of clerks were added to Tn
J rolls without request OF the puStma,
ter and that the postmaster state
, that mt times IT, has hppu 6iriguIt 1