The San Francisco call., 1903-09-11
Buy your watches at Lundys, Third
street ana 752 Market street.

7
ment and Improvement Company has
been working a system of graft" by
charging the Pestoffice Department an
/ extortionate price for the contrivances
which they were furnishing to it eXclu-
sively is not a new one. The device,
which is one for displaying the next hour
of mail collection. devised as an attach
ment for mail boxes, was patented by
superintendent Richardson. \ company
including Richardson and Montague, con-
tracted with the Government to furnish
these attachments exclusively at the rate
of 81 25 apiece. The claim has been made
that the company has been making profits
of over IS per cent on the deal. This has
been denied by Montague.
Postmaster Montague, who is lying ill
at his summer nome in Agnews, made the
following denial of the charges reported
to have been made against him and Of
the statement that his resignation was
imminent. He said:
1 thought of resigning from the position
hold two years ago on account OF i'll health.
but have not done So and the statement that
I would was not authorized by me.
1 do know why Mr.. Richardson went
East il he has gone. | know nothing OF his
whereabouts. There have been no irreguari-
ties In the San Francisco Postoffce. The af-
fairs Of the Office are all right. If there were
any irregularities would know OF them
INTERESTS ONLY NOMINAL.
l have never been president of the Postal
Development and Improvement Company. nor
Oh its board of directors 1 have never at
tended a meeting of that board and do not
know where its offices are. have stock ot
the concern in my name. but it does not be
long 10 me. The invention is useful one and
dividends have been paid by the concern.
do not know how many shares OF stock have.
If any one connected with the San Francisco
Postoffice has been indicted by the Federal
Grand Jury / do not know who it is. The
manufacture and sale of the attachment for
letter boxes showing the time for collection OF
the next mail is a private enterprise, ana II
any in the San Francisco Postofhce inter-
sense and entirely apart from their connection
with the postofhce. have no statement to
make in regard to the reports concerning the
affairs of the San Francisco Postofhce.
Mr.. Montague is a very sick man. He
Law in his bed as he talked and was evil
IDENTIFY suffering severe pain. The muscles
of his face contracted spasmodically as he
spoke HIS wife and niece, Miss Wright.
are in attendance. Mrs Montague is
suffering much anxiety on account of her
husbands S Illness and declared to The Call
representative that her husband only de-
sired that the full truth should be known
in the present scandal concerning the San
Francisco Postof1ice.
LOUD is MYSTERIOUS.
When seen last night at his home at
1906 Octavia street ex-Congressman Eu-
gene f. Loud spoke at some length upon
the subject of the recent investigation
into the conduct of the business of the
San Francisco Postoffice. lie said
My position is a delicate one and does not
allow of my telling all l know about affairs
both here and in Washington. 1 called
back to Washington some six months ago for
the especial purpose of giving my aid in the
investigation OF affairs in San Francisco
which were then being carried on quietly.
Since my return / have been consulted by
some members of the Postal Development and
Improvement Company relative to the business
affairs of that concern, and 1 prac-
tically occupying dual role which does not
permit of my talking freely.
/ can say however, that / was present at
the investigation held In Washington some
time ago which resulted in the secret investi-
cation which concluded here month ago
Whether not the results of that investiga-
tion of the following one held here are of
such nature as to cast Postmaster Montague
his associates under the cloud of suspicion
I am not free to say. Personally / have
heard Of no indictment being promulgated by
the Federal Grand Jury against any person
connected with the local postofhce
l knew that the Postoffce Department az
washington intended sending out secret agents
TO Investigate the affairs OF the San Fran
cisco Office and know pretty we'll the tenor
of their report. Postmaster Montague knew
that they were here and knew their business
but OF course does not know the nature ~
their report. For almost year the San Fran
cisco office has been under surveilance by the
authorities
BY innuendo the assertions have been made