The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-04-14
STATEMENT BY PAYNE
ON WATCH FOR WRONG DOING
 IN HIS DEPART1GENT.
Postofice Inspectors are at Work Investigating Rsports-Eourtn Assistant Bristow is in
 Charge of the Matter.

washington, April ls.-Postmaster- General Payne this evening gave out . statement in which he announced that the investigation of the affairs of the Post ofice Department will be-continued and that any persons found guilty of wrong doing will be dealt with summarily. The statement is as follows;
 During the months of January and February information and reports reach ed me which I deemed 1t for the public interest to investigate and I personally gathered such information and facts as would enable the proper officers of the department to undertake thorough in- yestisation as to the truth or falsity of these reports.
 "I directed Fourth Assistant Postmas- ter General Bristow to take the proper steps to institute the necessary inquiry using for that purpose the postoffice in spectors' division and such ether meth- ods as would thoroughly ascertain the tr uth or falsity of the charges or insinua- tion made, and he was instructed to pro- ceed promptly and with vigor during my absence.
 Since my return this morning. have not seen General Bristow so that am not advised of the progress made The inyestigation will continue and if any wrong -doing is disclosed the parties gull ty of such wrong-doing will be sum- mariiy dealt with. If the system or method of doing business in the depart ment is faulty. the proper remedies will be applied without fear or favor I in" augurated the investigation with the de- termination that 1t should be exhaustive. It is proper for me to add that I laid before the President the information
 which had in my possession and that he fully approved of the action proposed by me-"
 The whole administration of the Post office Department is made the subject of the investigation under the Postmaster Generals direction, and every part will
 be probed thoroughly and the inquiry be
 made as thorough as the department 6 most expert inspectors can make it. At the same time, Mir. Payne's purpose is to give fair and just treatment to all concei ned, and not to act arbitrarily and
 with undue haste For this reason it can be stated that no immediate changes of importance in the personnel of the service are now contemplated and changes will depend largely on the report to be made by Fourth Assistant Post master General Bristow on the investiga- tion, although developments meantime may necegsitate some deviation from this policy.
 The ofice of the Assistant Attorney General for the Postoffice Department is among the bureaus included in the gen. eral inquiry and until the investigation of affairs generally is completed, it is possible that no successor to Assistant Attorney General Tyner will be named. Postmaster-GeneraI Payne did not reach the department until o'clock this afternoon. A score of newspaper men were awaiting him with queries concern ing the Postofice investigation, but he parried all questions with the remarks pressed particular qualification at what he had observed of postal conditions in Cbua, and said his observations in Cuba and Porto Rico would be helpful to him in administering the postal service. Mir. Payne summoned a number of the officers of the department, and held short consultations with them respecting pos tai affairs. About an hour later he gave out his statement. Subsequently he held quite an extended interview with Fourth
 Assistant Postmaster General Bristow. l It is learned that 1t will be several weeks before the Postoffice inspectors will be able to complete their work. When they have finished MT. Bristow will prepare a comprehensive report on the whole sub | feet. The report necessarily will enn. brace matters as to which publicity may not be warranted. so t is probable some parts of the reports will be withheld from publication.