The St. Louis Republic., 1903-05-18

no are GIuDCuleu IN a ietteT ~
Postmaster General Payne in response 10
the latter's request to be furnished inforrna
tion that would substantiate publishes
statements of Mr.. Tulloch. Some of the
matters complained of will be investigated
Immediately by the inspectors.
Mr., Tulloch In his letter says he is at the
service of the Postmaster General in render
ing any further assistance that may be de-
sired. Mr. Tulloch says that In all in
stances Of irregularity and favoritism the
proper allowances. records. vouchers. etc.
a rule. and little information can be ascer-
tanned by their investisa uon; that the real
facts behind the allowances and vouchers
are not of record and are known to few
those interested who will not. and others.
clerks. who care not talk
For upward Of nineteen years." the let
the Washington City Post Office and the
Post-Oh1ce Department was regular; then
came the first break. the precursor of a
Post Once on account Of departmental ex-
penditures. which afterwards led to fire.
Eularties. abuses. eItravaGance and my re-
MIR. Sheppard. then chief of the salary
and allowance division of the Post-Office
Department. desired file case for the use
Of his office. His reauisitions were turned
down by his superior officers. Later vouch-
ers were presented to me for a file case, ac-
companied by an allowance for its payment
made by Mr. Sheppard and signed by the
First Assistant Postmaster General.
Il directed the contractor to obtain Ger
hard refused to acknowledge the receipt OF
the goods fearing exposure during the au-
ditinE OF the vouchers. and refused TO pay
father the same.
Soon after the Mckinley administration
came into power. the First Assistant Post
master General sent his clerk down to me
with a voucher for lump sum for travel
ing expenses. accompanied by an allowance
for their payment from the funds of the
Washington Office"
The Postmaster explained to him that
! had only asked for what was required by
the auditor. and. according to precedent:
the ofncial said: Look here now. this is a
| new administration. and a new crowd and
| We intend to make our own preeedents.'
ment finally sent word through the. Post
| master that. on account OF the feeling
| shown in the matter. II I would inclose
the voucher in my next account its infor-
| nality would be overlooked. An inspec-
| ton OF the Washington accounts will show
many similar subsequent payments OF
OF departmental officials without the usual
departmental checks.
| BLANKET BOND SCHEME
THE Washington ONCE was surprised one
| day to receive from the salary and allow
/ ance division of the First Assistant Post
| master Generals office printed circular
| stating 1t was intending to require all en-
! ployes at Post Ofhces to give blanket
! to be furnished by a single recognized
| bonding company. irrespective of the fact
, whether such employees could furnish good
personal bonds or might desire to aTail
1 themselves of competition in premiums be-
, tween other bonding companies. ~
| "A similar blanket bond was. believe
! to be required of the letter carriers. The
: Postmaster had a conference with George
! ". Beaver. then chief of the salary and
! allowance division. and reported that Mr.
/ Beaver had said: Senator Platt Of New
| York would appreciate the fact IL he
| would select the sena tors company
The original circular WAS se esc
, their own bond or bonding companies.
f: WANTED. WRITTEN AUTHORITY.
Considerable feeling was manifested to-
! wards me in the Office of First Assistant
| pay vouchers for services or such places on
personal request. or by direction over the
| telephone:
! for payment one afternoon. amounting to
several hundred dollars for postal furni,
would Be sent down by private messenger
as soon as 1t was signed by the First AS
sistsnt Postmaster General again refused
some time afterwards returned with the al
lowance properly executed and still damp
from the copying press 1t was for ship
or ies Porto Rico. No one had certified as to
i the receipt of the goods. and called the al
tsnton Of Lynss,S11 to to the h, Omission 9ah,
that he needed the money; i declined te
i pay unless some responsible official would
acknowledge the receipt Of the goods. where;
| told me his company did not have very
much capital. that work had not yet even
begun upon the furniture. but that George
| had agreed to advance him the money in
nm yYnonf If tQ needless TO add DdSmelt
was made"
Mr.. Tulloch SAYS payments were author.
ESQ rs C on IN May 5. June and June is. 1899.
! That of June 10 was for I.l25. for Porto
Rico, and was rendered in a lump sum. An
| was the vice president of the company. It
| is stated the company shipped 5000 to $4,000
! worth Of supplies to Cuba on orders from
the American Post Ofiice at the Paris Ex-
position. Mr.. Livingston was also in charge
| Of the Washington office of the Keyless
! Extensive purchases of furniture for Porto
! Rico. amounting to over 81 800 and involving
q, some washstands at very high prices. Mr.
| the First Assistant Postmaster General
| Cobb. Jr.. No; 7s Nassau street. Nex York
spector in Charge William B. Smith Of this
| city made an inspection Of the Washington
| Post Ofice and during that inspection re.
ceived word from an associate Of the First
Assistant Postmaster General that he would
better be careful or he might lose his own
head.
81 was credibly informed at that time
that the matter SO prepared. with perhaps
other evidence. was laid before Postmaster
General Smith by Fourth Assistant Post
master Bristow. who requested the appoint
ment OF a commission to investigate the
cffice of the First Assistant Postmaster
General
This was refused by Mr.. Smith: who
looked upon 1t al another manifestation or
the relations existing between Mr.. Perry
g. Heath and Mr.. Bristow."
EXPENSIVE MAIL-BoX SYSTEM.
Continuing. the statement says:
Residents Of Warrington remember well
receiving q few years since an ofhcial let
ter from the Postmaster at washington.
reconmendins and seeminsly% % occurring the
collection and delivery mail box. to be at
tached to their front doors Many persons
bought these boxes. This box was the prop
erty Of individuals or an individual COM
psny. pan, .,x,.v, .u,nosed that cert,,, d.
partmentai officials took more than a pass
Ing interest in 1t, in connection with GER
tain other prominent persons. 1t was a
well-known regulation Of the department
Postmaster or any employe inform any one
with regard to the address or residence of
any person or resident of the city.
yet the .s ssepts s,,tiss Q, this b boz upon the
dresses, brought an order from the office
Of the First Assistant Postmaster General
directtn8 the turning over Of the letter car
riers' route-book to- these agents. The
this unauthorized use of his name. MI
Tulloch then cites fndorsements NV Mr.