Evening star., 1903-07-16
At Least Two Post Office Of
fcials May Be Indicted.
MONEY ORDER BLANKS
STILL TRYING TO PREVENT CON
TRACT GOING TO HERMANN.
Inspectors Looking Into Contracts for
Supplies in New York City
and Brooklyn.

Interesting developments are expected as
the result of the Post Office Department in
vestigation within very short time.
1t is understood that the inspectors, who
have been hard at work for more than three
months have succeeded in unearthing
condition Of affairs that will warrant the
arrest of two more officials of the Post
Office Department, and most likely third
one.
Extra precautions have been taken to
keep from the public any inkling of who
the persons are who may be arrested. The
grand jury of the District of Columbia has
had brought to its attention within the past
few weeks an array of evidence that is said
to have fixed beyond any reasonable doubt
the minds of the jurors.
Postmaster General Payne, before he left
Washington on his ocean journey, is said
to have expressed himself to friends eX-
pecting important arrests during his alb
sence. Assistant United States District At
torney Taggart is said to be engaged at
present in preparing indictments.
The Money Order Blank Contract.
Representatives Of the Wyncoop- -Hallen-
beck-Crawford Company of New York,
which was an unsuccessful bidder for the
contract for printing money order blanks
for the Post Office Department for the
rext four years. are trying to prevent
the contract going to Paul Hermann of
Rutherford, n. j., who the lowest
bidder for the work. and who has given
the department a bond of $4,000 as a guar
antee that the work shall be properly per-
formed.
Postmaster General Payne and First AS
sistant Wynne are both satisfied that Her
rann acted in good faith in bidding for
the contract. They are also pleased to
know that the department will save $4,000
by giving him the contract There are
few little details that are being con-
sidered by Mr.. Wynne. who is the acting
postmaster general in Mr.. Payne's absence.
The disclosures thus far in the investi-
cation have been of such a character that
hereafter greater care will be exercised
in the awarding of all contracts. 1t is
for this reason that Mr.. Wynne desires
that Mr.. Hermann shall agree in writing
to perform the work of printing the money
order blanks in conformity to the wishes
of the department.
AS soon as Mr.. Hermann does this Mr..
Wynne, as acting postmaster general, will
sign the contract. and it will become eff
fective. This was agreed upon at a con-
ference Postmaster General Payne had
with Mr.. Wynne and Assistant Attorney
General Robb before the formers depart
ure yesterday forenoon.
Looking Into Supply Contracts.
More than ordinary attention is being
given by the inspectors under command of
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General Bris-
tow and Chief Cochran to the affairs of the
post offices in New York city and Brook
lyn.
1t is proposed to know. if possible. and
Postmaster General Payne feels that it is
possible, how men not engaged in either
the sale or manufacture of certain lines OF
supplies succeeded in getting contracts, un-
derbidding usually other competitors en-
gagged in that particular line of business,
and then giving the firms who were unsuc-
cessful the order to manufacture the goods.
dividing the profits about equally.
The inspectors have been cautioned to be
relentless In their efforts to ascertain
whether there was a combination of the
leading manufacturers in the lines of
goods purchased who agreed to permit an
OUTSIDE person to put in the lowest bid and
divide the work among them at a
~ wherein all made a better profit than
II they had successfully bid on the contract
In close competition. or whether some of
the department officials had friends who
were allowed to "get on the inside suf-
hciently to make the lowest bid
Many complaints have reached the Post
Office Department since the investigation
was set on foot. AS a rule they have com.
whom declare emphatically that they were
disseminated against. If the bids have
been obtained through collusion between
heads OF certain departments and contract
ors, 1t would indicate, 1t is argued that
the manufacturers We're themselves asking
the government the highest prices
Inspector Mayors Return.
Post Office Inspector Walter s. MAYER re-
turned from New York last night. 1t was
understood that there would be some i'm
portant developments in the New York
post office situation Immediately following
his return, but Mr.. Mayer refused to make
any statement concerning the result oe his
mission to Gotham.
Acting Postmaster General Wynne is still
engaged in going over personally all the
contracts that have been awarded in the
first assistant postmaster generals bureau
since he came into office
ARMY OFFICERS RETTRED