New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-10-10
AUDITOR CASTLE GOES.
RESIGNATION DEMANDED.
President Acts on Tulloch Charges
-Christiancy Out.

Washington, Oct 9-The first Of the changes
predicted in these dispatches Of September IS
as likely to result from the special report which
Charles J. Bonaparte and Holmes Conrad made
to the President on the "Tulloch charges came
to-day when the resignation OF Captain Henry
A. Castle auditor for the Postofice Department.
was announced. Captain Castle handed in his
resignation on October {. addressing it to the
President. and Secretary Shaw accepted it yes
terday in a curt letter in which he thanked
Captain Castle for his courtesy. but failed to
commend him for his official services. That the
demand for Captain Castles resignation ema-
mated from the White House is we'll known. as
is also the fact that the report OF Messrs- Bona
Iarte and Conrad has placed the AUDITORS su-
perior officer Controller TraceweIl Of the Treas
ury Department. in so unfortunate light at
the White House that his tenure Of office must
be regarded precarious, although the Secre-
tary Of the Treasury is unwilling TO part with
an official so thoroughly familiar with the stat
utes and so efficient in many ways
NO CRIMINAL CHARGES.
The precise character Of the Bonaparte-Con-
rad report so far as it relates TO Captain Castle
cannot be learned at this time, but those who
have known the auditor for many years are
convinced that it can reflect his administra-
ton only in so far as his amiability has led him
to pass accounts which called for more drastic
treatment than he gave them. Captain Castle
has long protested that his force was entirely
inadequate for the arduous duties imposed on
it. and he said to-day without equivocation
that some Of the matters which had drawn crlIl-
cisn on him had resulted from the directions
Of heads Of the Postofice Department Sey-
rnour W. TulIoch, in his famous charges al
legged among other things, that the Controller
had disauowed between $4,000 and S+o.uvo
0Fr70 VT-H
had been passed by Mr.. Castle and that Castle
permitted the expense accounts OF Perry :.
Heath and George W. Beavers TO be charged
N the washington Postofice. Captain Castle
deries that there is any truth in the first state
rnent. and says that he protested against the
latter practice on several Oce 1sions. each time
securing ruling against il from the Postmaster
General but that such ruling was not IN Ior0S
moro than two or three months before the First
Assistant Postmaster General, or some other
Official would institute 2 new precedent IOF us
violation Another instance which caused crIIl-
cisu Of Castle is the fact that he was discovered
70 be a director OF the Colorado King copper
Mining Company, the stock Of which concern
I,Isr1ss Hedges formerly superintendent q de-
livery was found TO be peddling to postmasters
and subordinates in the department Captain
Castle admits that he was director OF this COM
Many bu- saws that he ceased TO be one many
PAM S-N ~-'
months ago.
Captain Castle said this evening that his only
reason for resigning was that he wanted 10 get
out Of official life. and especially TO escape me
heat of Washington summers. and that he had
informed the Secretary Of the Treasury OF his
desire 70 be relieved from his present duties as
long ago as May.
LAX METHODS OF AUDITING.
CAPTAIN Castle further made some startling
statements with regard TO the auditing methods
in the department. He said, for instance, that
the auditor had no possible means OF knowing
officially whether any one Of several million
dollars paid to railroads for the transportation
of mails was properly earned. We pay, for
instance" said Captain Castle. approximately
81 100000 year TO the New-York Central Rail-
road. but have no way Of knowing if the road
has ever carried a pound OF mail l am obliged
10 accept the face Of the certificate Of the Sec
ond Assistant Postmaster General, and collision
in his Office or an inaccuracy in his figures
could never be detected by the auditing Office
II is inexplcable how Congress can permit
things 70 go on as they are going here. The
work Of this Office has increased s. per cent
since I came here six and one-hah years ago,
hut my force which numbers about SIX nunOfed,
has been increased only % per cent Another
defect in the system is that no account is kept
with the Postofice Department for the stamps,
STAMPED envelopes, postal cards, etc, which are
printed for it. 1t was due 20 this tact tnat the
cuban officials were able to uuct the PostOfIlce
stautIv exists here, and, although have called
the attention Of Congress 10 these matters IT
NV annual reports. no steps have been taken
toward giving a force adequate 10 conduct
the auditing az il should be done
A STEP TOWARD REFORM
There is even deeper significance in the call
for CAPTAIN Castles resignation than is gener-
al L said by Treasury Off
Gals 10 be the first step toward reorganization
OF the auditing system in the Treasury Depart
rnent. announced in The Tribune Of August 9.
Attention was then called in these dispatches
70 the almost unlimited powers delegated to the
auditor for the Postofice Department. which
had grown by accretiOn rather than by direc-
- and il was foretod that the Secretary OF
the treasury was seriously considering the
matter with view to recognizing the audit
ing system, taking steps 10 remedy the pres
emf isolated status Of the nine auditors for the
several departments, and gather them into one
building close 70 the Treasury Department.
where they could not fan 20 reaIze tnat they
constituted an integral part or that department
and we're entirely responsible TO the Secretary
"a r T, -asignation Of George 4. c. Christiancy
&C assistant attorney for the Postoffice Depart
T77arr was accepted by Postmaster General
Pavne to-day Unlimited leave OF absence was
rfter 10 Chrtstiancy on April ., and he has
Since been carried the rolls Of the depart
roanr hut has performed no duties other than
"a furnish some OF the eViGence which resulted
in the Indictment Of several former postal off,
rIaIe As was said AT that time. there were some
t%i-gs in connection with ChristianCy's admin
{s+raTio- which called for thorough investiga-
- hut il has been determined that such er-
80 as we're charged BILE 10 him were due 20 in
csnaCftv and III health rather than 20 a less
Creditable cause. on July II he handed his
~aeigDation to the Postmaster General, but
oa-+.1ce was deferred until the cases before
~ grand Jury could be disposed Of Christiancy
ei,creeded Harrison J. Barrett July I. 1901.
5a1-ire been appointed from the I'D Congress
District OF Nebraska