The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-18
diate. thorough and exhaustive q estiga- .tion. e
 APPROVAL NOT D, TAND,

"I submitted this rep0 the PoSt- master General with my a. proval, but did not consider such approval as a de- mand on my part that the office of the First Assistant Postmaster General be in- vestigated.
 '"rhe third report, dated July 3l, 1900. an abstract of which is herewith submit ted. marked Exhibit C. sets forth number of Irregularities that prevailed at that time in the Washington postoffice: this inspection was begun when I was absent from the department. When I re- turned was informed by the chief in- spector that complaint was made to the postmaster that Inspector Little. who was engaged on the work. wss asking unnec- essary questions and seeking information which was not called for in an inspec- tion. I advised him to instruct Little to make the same kind of an investigation of the Washington postoffice that he would make of any other office under sim liar circumstances and to submit in a special report anything which he thought should be called to the personal attention of the Postmaster General.
 This he did and I submitted the special report to the Postmaster General, stating to him that I understood from the chief inspector that complaint had been made that Inspector Little was asking unneces- sary questions with the possible view of embarra ssing the Department with re- gard to certain conditions in the Wash ington postofTlce, but that after inquiry was clearly convinced that the questions asked were not unnecessary or improper and that believed he would hold the same view after hs had read his report Very respectfully,
 "J. L. Bristow, Fourth Assistant Postmaster General"
 WASTE IN PORTO RICO.
 Exhibit A. which is report on the in- He f tention to the fact that credit has been given in the postal account for advances and expenditures for the military stations in Porto Rico as follows:
 "value of stamped paper, SIP, ,769; mili- tary postal service, miscellaneous, A5,O6S; military service pay roll, $S0,259, and 1t Is suggested that his account be promptly adjusted, more especially the item of post age stamps and stamped paper advanced to the following persons assigned to duty in connection with the postal service in Porto Rico: McKenna, $2,10O; Whitney, &, ,010; Van Alstyne, $2,100; Graff, $o59; Bristow, 5000 Total, s12,76s."
 Expenditures irregularly charged to the Washington office and which belonged to the department itself are specified in this exhibit It says that Robert V. Willette, a son of the postmaster at the time drew two salaries from July to December lO 1898, one as a laborer at the city post office at $500 a year and the other as mechanic at g a day for each working day on what appears to have been special roll of the free delivery service, and that N. H. Baker, likewise desig- mated as a laborer, was on the pay roll April 19 1899 at $7OO per annum and on the same date as mechanic on the free delivery roll at g d day.
 nxTr s.n6TT1rADv pnTTO
 The inspectors continuing, say that on June 30, 1889, twenty-two employees were borne on the rolls and paid on what has been known as the military roll, while the military roll shows thirty-four names as having been paid by 'he cashier of the Washington postof1ce.
 There was also found special roll of employees paid from miscellaneous allow ances, these appointments being under control of the postoffice department This roll consists of nine "cleaners" with salaries of from $40O to $500, and one ''phy- sician" at a salary of $17OO. Some of these cleaners appear to have per- formed very little service and others none at all.
 The most important exhibit is the cen fidential report of Inspector in Charge Smith of the Washington division, made In July 1858, setting forth lrreS llarities which he urged should be investigated. He names four employees on the military roll who appear not to have performed any service In connection with military postal matters and for whose original ap- pointment or contin lance on the rolls no good reason exists.
 LEARNERS LITTLE GRAFT.
 The payment to w. H. Larner. mili- tary postal clerk, under protest by the cashier of SIS. .93, subsequently, disallowed by the auditor of the treasury January 4, 1899, Is gone into at length, and 1t is shown that this matter was entirely irregular and that payments were directed without proper vouchers.
 The inspectors say that while the cashier was out of the office temporarily and had left instructions that no final navnent could be made to Larner until his expense account was adjusted oy the auditor. Larner called and demanded al immediate settlement. When settlement was not made at once. he appealed 10 the department. and the acting postmaster on demurring further. was informed by +bo da,,artment that the Washington oaoo bs,d letter from the first assistant postmaster general directing payment to he made to MT. Larner and if that was not good enough, perhaps 1t would opey one signed by the Postmaster General. 
 The amount was firally paid under written instructions. December lZ ana l4 Larner was requested to call at 'he Washington office and furnish informa- ton required by the Auditor ana return s815 overpayment of salary obtained py instrumentation. but no answer was re- ceived to such request.
 WAsHSTANDS AT $40 EACH.
 Attention is called to certain items Of expenditures authorized for the military postal service of supplies, furniture, travelling expenses aggregating $'75o.Io' with the statement that whether the foregoing items were purchased in the open market. with the resulting compeu- ton the Auditor was unable to say, but that the price paid for some of the ar ticles enumerated. such as washstands at $40 each. appears to have been highly excessive and leads to the belief that the feature of competition did not enter into the transaction.
 Attention is also called to additional irregularities in connection with pay rolls of clerks and laborers and to charg- ing premiums on the bonds of the mlli- tary postal clerks. notwithstanding such expenses are not chargeable to the United States.
 An interesting feature concerns irreg- ularities in the appointment, compensa- November 20. 1897. The First Assistant Postmaster-General authorized an allow ance of $500 per annum for his appoint