The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-05-19
ALLEGATIONS OF FORMER WASH
iNGToN PosrcFFicE cAaHlER
MADE PUBLIC.
INVESTIGATOR "'iLL OCCUR
ssOME MATTERS COMPLAINED OF
TO BE PRoB-D BY INSPECT
ORs AT ONCE.

washington. May ~ ne IHll Iext
of the formal charges of irregularities
in the administration Of postal af.
fairs preferred by Seymour W. Tul.
.1och, former cashier of the Washing
ton city postoffice, was made public
Sunday by Mr.. Tulloch. The charges
are embodied in a letter to Postmaster
General Payne in response to the lat.
ter's request to be furnished informa.
ton that, would s~ubstantiate publish.
ed statements Of Mr.. Tulloch. Some
of the matters complained Of will be
investigated Immediately by inspec.
tors.
Mr.. Tullocn in his letter says he is
at the service of the postmaster gen.
eral in rendering any further assist.
ance that may be desired. He says in
all instances of Irregularities and ia.
voritism the public documents, rec
ords, vouchers, etc, were most care.
fully executed and kept and little in
formation can be ascertained by their
investigation, that the real facts be.
hind the allowances and vouchers are
not of record and are known to few
those interested who will not, and
others, clerks, who dare not, talk.
For upwards of nineteen years."
the letter %recites, "the conduct of af-
fairs between the Washington city
postofice and the postotice depart
ment was regular, Their came the first
break, the precursor of a system OF
Office on account of departmental ex-
penditures. which afterwards led to
Irregularities, abuses, extravaganza
and my removal as an obstacle on
June 30, 1899.
Soon after the Mckinley admins
tration came into power the first as
sistant postmaster general sent his
CLERK down to me with a voucher
for a lump sum for travelling expenses
accompanied with an allowance for
their payment from the funds of the
Washington Office. Such a demand
was irregular on it's face. But the of.
fetal became very angry at the idea
OF a mere cashier attempting to make
any suggestions to him and refused
to amend and revise his voucher.
Action According to Precedent.
"The postmaster explained to him
that had only asked for what was re-
CURED by the auditor and according
to precedent.
THE postmaster upon his return
stated the official had said: Look here
now this is a new administration and
a new crowd n we intend to make
our W ~precedents.' The. auditor of
the p%ostoffice department finally sent
word through the postmaster that on
account of the feeling shown in the
matter II l would enclose the voucher
In my next account it's formality would
be overlooked. An inspection of the
Washington accounts will show many
similar and subsequent payments of
travelling and other expenses on &C.
count of departmental officials with
out the usual departmental checks.
"The Washington Office was sur.
prtsed one day to receive from the
salary and allowance division Of the
: first assistant postmaster generals of.
flee. a private circular stating it was
intending to require all postal en-
ployes at postal stations to give a
bond direct to the department, said
bond to be furnished by a single bond.
Ing company. irrespective of the fact
whether such employees could furnish
good personal bonds Or might desire
to avail themselves of competition in
premiums between other bonding com.
panies.
"a similar blanket bond was. l be-
lieve, to be required of the letter car
riers. The postmaster had a con-
ference with George w. Beavers, then
chief of the salary and allowance di,
vision, and reported that Mr.. Bea.
vers had said: Senator Platt of New
York. would appreciate the fact if he
would select the senator's company
The original circular was subsequent
~ modified by allowing employees to
select their w pond or bonding
companies"
Refused to Pay Voucher.
Mr.. Tulloch her tells how he re.
fused to pay a voucher of J. Holt Liy.
lngstone for several hundred dollars
said to be for postal furniture, which
had not been bought.
Mr.. Tulloch says payments were au.
thorized to Mr.. Livingstone amount.
ing to about 50. 500 on May 5, June 3
and June 10, 1899. That of June 10
was for 81 ,725. for Porto Rico and was
rendered in a lump sum-. An init.
mate friend of Mr.. Heath's, M. D.
Helm, was the vice president of the
company.
Extensive purchases Of furniture for
Porto Rico, amounting to over $1,000
and involving some washstands at
very high prices, Mr.. Tulloch says
were purchased by order of the first
assistant postmaster general.
Mr.. Tulloch says that the postofice
Inspector in charge, William B.. Smith
of this city, made an inspection of the
Washington %postofice and during that
inspection received word from an as
sociate of the first assistant postmas-
ter general that he had better be care.
full or he might lose his own head.
Mr.. Tulloch adds:
! was credibly informed at the
time that the matter prepared with
+, proofs attached was laid before Post
master General Smith by Fourth AS
sistant Postmaster General Bristow,
UhO rQ0uoctod the nocfpaae4ou xo..