Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-06-27

ton, he Beavers, requested the inspec-
tor To inform the inspector-in-c charge
that when he struck the names Of the
char-woman OF the stations il would be
well not TO mention them IN his report,
as they were personal appointments Of
tie postmaster general
81 do not know whether this state
ment was made or not, but the fact is
that of all the appointments referred to
In the report | had personal knowledge
OF and personal interest In only one,
That was the case OF n most estimable
newspaper woman, long successful
Washington correspondent, whom had
known for % years and who, through
misfortune, was In much distress.
Knowing her need and being able to
help her, ! should have been brute u
| had failed to do so, As she was not
on the roll of elgibles she could not be
made a clerk, and | requested that
place should be found for her on the roll
OF laborers. Months afterward
learned, to my surprise. that she was
enrolled as a cleaner, and, though re-
fined lady Of education, had consclent-
ously been doing a cleaners work. Inn
medlately | sought TO find place more
suitable to her position and antecedents
and happily succeeded, That was abso-
lutely the only case Of all involved IN
which l had any personal part. II any
body thinks the pOstmaster-general
should know the number Of cleaners and
whether they were all at work, have
nothing to say.
Gen. Brlstow Is entirely right in say
Ing that he spoke to me at the time
about the inspectors report His
statement would have been complete Il
he had added what stated In my letter
Of May q, as follows: About the same
time Fourth Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Bristow informed me that inspect
ors had found the same apparent or ac-
tual Irregularities in the Washington
office, | advised him, according to my
recollection. OF the investigation which
the comptroller OF the treasury had
made, and Of the steps which We're be-
Ing taken TO rectify any wrong,
Il wish to accept the largest measure
Of responsibility which belongs to me In
connection with all these matters, but Il
seems due TO fairness TO state certain
facts. The war against Spain. declared
three or four days LITER was dated back
20 April q, 1898. That was the very day
on which ! was sworn IN as postmaster
general. My first duty, before even ia
miiiarizlng myself with the department.
was 10 make immediate provision for
the letters OF the scattered army Of $50, e
600 men which was promptly raised. fol-
lowed by provision for the fun mail Of
the islands. The administration had
been Installed for more than year. The
department force had been organized,
and, OF course. il was properly accepted
as n was found.
"When the immediate duty In hand
was taken up II was discovered. Curl
ously enough, that there were absolute
ly no records OF the military postal SER
vice In the Civil war There were no
known precedents We had nothing 20
guide us We had TO make our own
plans. The determination OF the general
plan and policy devolved on the post
master general. The execution OF the
details devolvod on the FIRST assistants
bureau. We had at nrst no special ap.
preparation and so had to meet the re-