The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-05-07
General Payne and Mr.. Loud.
Strange Discrepancies in Statements
Recently Issued by Them.

The Postmaster General made a
statement to representatives of the
press, on Tuesday, in which he as
serted. among other things, that the
work now being performed by Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General Bristow
was planned by him (the Postmaster
General) as long ago as last autumn.
In formal statement issued to the
press on April ID the Postmaster Gen
eral had this to say:
During the months of January and February
information and reports reached me which
deemed it for the public interest TO investigate,
and !, personally, gathered such information
and facts as would enable the proper officers
of the department TO undertake thorough in
vestigation TO the truth falsitv of these
reports. l directed Fourth Assistant Postmaster
General Bristow TO take the proper steps to
institute the necessary inquiry using for that
purpose the Postoffice inspectors division and
such other methods as would thoroughly ascer-
tain the truth falsity of the charges or in
situations made, and ne was instructed to pro-
coed promptly and with vigor during my alb
sence.
Since my return this morning I have not seen
General Bristow, so that 1 am not advised of
the progress made. The investigation will
continue, and if any wrongdoing is disclosed
the parties guilty Of such wrongdoing will be
suninarily dealt with II the system OF method
OF doing business in the department is faulty
the proper remedies viii be applied without fear
or favor. inaugurated the Investigation with
the determination that it should be exhaustive
1t is proper for 10 add that l laid before
the President the information which 1 had in
my possession, and that he fully approved of
the action proposed by me.
Yesterday, former Representative
Loud, for a number of years chair
man of the House Committee on Post
office and Post Roads, gave to the
press a statement over his own sigma
ture, IN which he says:
Early in the winter-it must have been in
December-the present Postmaster General Olr
Payne1 and myself had many consultations re-
gsrding the postal service, and as result
of these interviews it was determined as soon
as possible after the adjournment of Congress.
that an investigation should be made of the
service. The proof that this investi-
is TO be found in the miscellaneous items
for the Postmaster General reported in the
Postofice appropriation bill in January 1t
heretofore had been 1000 That item was
Increased TO $4,000 for the express purpose OF
using, II necessary, means outside Of the Post
pffce Department itself in carrying on the in
Vesugation- The reason for the increase in this
appropriation was known only TO the Postmaster
General, Mr. Cromwell of Ohio, and myself.
We are confronted, therefore. with
two statements by the Postmaster
General, one of which says that the
existence of abuses in his department
came TO his knowledge last autumn.
the other, more formal in character,
which asserts that the information
concerning irregularities in the SER
vice reached him during the months
Of January and February" In addi-
ton we have Mr.. LIQUIDS statement
that he knew of the conditions pre-
vailing in the department for the first
Sine in December last.
The most startling announcement
made, however, is to the effect that
$4,000 was appropriated for the pur-
pose Of an investigation, without a
word of debate in either house of
Congress, and without anyone being
Informed as to the real object of the
appropriation General Payne, Mr..
Loud, and Mr.. Bromwell excepted.
We pass for the present without
comment the conflicting statements of
the Postmaster General and Mr.. Loud
as to the exact time when it dawned
upon them that something might be
wrong in the Postofice Department.
We only pause long enough TO remark
that the dawn in their minds seems to
be singularly coincident with the
period when The Times began its dis
closures of wrongdoing in the depart
ment
We care little, however, for these
discrepancies, and others, natural
enough in statements prepared under
the stress Of recent revelations and
with no other object in view, proba-
ply, than that of meeting the exigen-
lies of the hour. What interests us
much more-and we may have some
hing to say on that subject later on
5 the origin of the present investiga-
ion.
It is kind and accommodating, of
course, in Mr.. Loud to take the public
nto his confidence as to the object of
he $4,000 appropriation; but it
strikes us that the proper person to
make this known would have been the
Postmaster General, and he might