Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-17

report fully informed as to the scope of
the departmental inquiry now for several
months in progress under his orders, we
venture to submit 1t.
I'VE have been very favorably impressed
by the zeal. fidelity and intelligence of the
post office inspectors, and deem them fully
competent, under the supervision Of the
fourth assistant postmaster general, to con-
gesed.
'.2. That carefully chosen small COM
mission be appointed by the President TO
report plan whereby the work of the
auditors may be removed from all political,
personal or other extraneons influences, the
officials therein employed; protected from
injury through the enmities they may incur
In the discharge Of their. duties, and the
competency and independence of all en-
gagged in this branch of the government Sc
cured through their selection by free COM
petition. promotion for merit only and as
surance OF tenure during the continuance
OF hdelity and efficiency on! their own par"
A supplementary report: is appended to
the original, embodying consideration of a
letter from Postmaster Merritt, making
grave accusation against Mr.. Tulloch.'
These accusations are considered in detail
and the conclusion reached that they do
not require modification of any of the
conclusions or recommendations heretofore
made.
The supplementary report also gives con-
sideratiOn to letters from former Postmas-
ter General Smith to the President, and
from the late Commissioner Proctor of the
civil service commission, in which certain
comments are made ON the original report
and says the Smith letter contains nothing
leading ''us to doubt the correctness of the
conclusions announced in the original re-
port The report adds:
Failed to Appreciate Gravity.
Mr. Smiths letter shows, to our minds
not only that there was, as we said.
failure on his part while in office to appre-
ciate the gravity of the situation disclosed
by the warnings he received, but that he
yet fails to appreciate this situation"
Appended to the report are letters to the
President from Secretary Shaw, Postmas-
ter General Payne and former Postmaster
General Smith. Secretary Shaw states that
as soon as the Tulloch letter was published
he had investigated the connection of Judge
TraceweH with the matters involved and
the Secretary adds:
Il then reached the conclusion that he
had passed a few improper payments. l
was convinced, however, that it was an
error in Judgment, and the amounts were
very small. l went over the whole matter
with Mr.. Gilmer, and became convinced
that this gentleman was; seeking to en-
barrass the department and his former
chief. He injected into his examination
SNoiJ PoSsiple lnsiluatioH, ana was want
Ing in that measure of frankness which is
important in all these Matters
After reviewing further his investigation
of Gilmer. the Secretary concludes:
AS nearly all the criticisms Of Mr. Trace
well relate to differences between him and
Mr.. Gilmer, and as Mr.. Gilmer is mani
testify an unsafe custodian Of any man
official reputation, 1 think the controller
should be exOnerated."
The letter of the Postmaster General in
formed the President that the investiga-
tons suggested in the report are already
in progress. That of former Postmaster
General Smith is a categorical comment on
that part Of the report relating directly to
his official acts, along the lines of the state
ments already published by him.