The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-24
Replies of Controller Tracewell and
Auditor Castle to the ACCUSE
tions of the Ex-Cashfer.
NO WRONGFUL PROCEDURE
IN THE INVESTIGATION OF THE
WASHINGTON POSTOFFICE.
Mr. Tracewell Says No Political Pres
sure Was Brought to Bear to
Stop the Inquiry.

WASHINGTON, May 23.-Postmaster
General Payne to-day made public the an
swers of Henry A. Castle, the auditor Of the
treasury for the Postoffce Department. and
Controller Tracewell, of the treasury, re-
garding the Tulloch charges of irregulari-
ties in the postal administration. The an
swers specifically deny allegations Of
wrongful procedure. Controller Tracewell
charges T. w. Gilmer, formerly an expert
of his Office with abstracting. but subse-
quently returning. upon demand, the letter
authorizing Mr.. Gilmer to examine the ac-
counts of any postofice except Washington
and New York. Mr.. Tracewen alleges this
letter was written by Gilmer himself with
out any suggestion from the controller.
Mr.. Castle says that the sum Of the tenta-
tive dlsallowances by Expert Gilmer and
the controller aggregated $685. and that the
credits finally disallowed out of a total of
a quarter of a million were $165, of which
he claims only 81 was incorrectly audited.
This, Mr.. Castle says, is the basis of Mr..
Tulloch's charge of disallowances Of $3o,O 900
or $4,000.
The first answer of Controller Tracewell
to the postmaster general is dated May 2,
and denies that any political pressure was
brought to BEAR or attempted, to secure the
suppression Of the investigation Of the
Washington accounts, and that the exami-
nation had been completed. He says the
attorney general and the first assistant
postmaster general charged Gilmer with
being impolite and offensive, and that such
complaints caused his detail (not removaD
to another office. The letter says Gilmer
was competent, painstaking and indus
trious.
The second answer, under yesterday S
date. goes into detail regarding Mr.. Tul-
locn's charge of a disallowance of $50 900
or $4,000 for the quarter mentioned. and
In reply, says the letter cited in this con-
nection, was not a letter OF disallowance,
but of inquiry. requiring the postmaster of
Washington to explain some matters and
state more specifically the nature of some
services. The controller says the answer
Mr.. Tulloch and thereupon all but $3.50 of
the items were allowed. The controller re-
fers to the letter to Gilmer authorizing
him to examine any account except the
SAYS this letter was written by Mr.. Gill
mer without suggestion from the controller.
Gilmer, he says, had gone over the Wash
ington accounts for one whole quarter. He
found that some claims had been paid from
wrong appropriations, but as they had
been paid and audited and the amount was
small. they were not disallowed. The con-
trolIer says he did not then suppose the
letter referred TO was obtained for i'm
proper purposes. "Mr. Gilmer, however"
SAYS the controller, did not have il copied
i'm my office, and when he left took IL with
him, also taking the original working draft
of the demand on the postmaster for ex-
plantations. After Mr.. Tulloch published his
statement l asked Mr.. Gilmer for them
and he brought them to my Office