Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-18

| spector's report, that the responsibility for
the many illegal appointments the pay
ment OF two salaries to one and the same
person, and the disbursement of thousands
of dollars for which practically no service
was performed, should be placed where 1t
properly belongs, and the many abuses cor
rected.
Reference is made by the inspector to
discovery of the names of three charwomen
whose duties the station superintendent dlo
not know and it is added: Mr.. Beavers,
chief of salary and allowance division, re-
quested the inspector to inform the in
spector-in-charge that when he struck the
names of the charwomen of the stations
it would be well not to mention them in
his reports, as they were personal appoint
| ments of the Postmaster General. and their
appointment had been authorized by the
department. and that they had only been
temporarily assigned to the stations until
they could be assigned elsewhere
Disbursed Without Authority.
The inspector cites payments to Gather
inc Endsley, Charles A. Machen, A. B.
Hurt, H. L. Lorenz, John s. Leach and
F. W. Wait, on the authority of the first
assistant postmaster general of per diem
in connection with claims of letter carriers
for overtime charges, aggregating 81, sos.
The inspector says this amount, disbursed
from July l. 1898, to May l. 1899, was dis
bursed without authority of law. The con-
troller of the treasury, In letter to the
postmaster at Washington, dated April ~,
1899 calls for a statement from each or
these persons showing what payments they
have received from other dfsburslng OH
GERS of the government for services or
expenses from July l to September 30,
1898 Machen LorenZ and Hurt, 1t appears,
were paid per diem covering the same
period by the disbursing clerk OF the De-
partment of Justice, from the appropriation
for defending suits in letter carriers claims
against the United States before the Court
of Claims These parties continued to
draw pay until the receipt OF the con-
troller's letter, the necessity for such ser
vice suddenly and finally ceasing with final
payment for the month of April.
Referring to voucher of Letter Carrier
A. A. Erb, July 1, to September ~, 1898
for $685. the controller called Afternoon
to the death of this carrier September 10,
while the voucher shows payment to him
up to and including the date of death. The
controller says that 1t seems receipts
were signed in blank by persons on the
nav roll and says the existence of such
.pra ctice would make receipts of little
value Voucher 4, John E. Stanton, is for
six days while 1t appears this carrier
actually served only one day, but signed
for five other carriers employed on the
same day.
Clerks Added to Postal Rolls.
The report of Inspector Little on the in
vestigation of the Washington office, dated
July 81, 1900 says that number of clerks
were added to the rolls without request of
the postmaster and that the postmaster
states that at times it has been difficult
to find employment for all assigned to his
rolls. The inspector says the roster ap-
nears To he elastic. to be added to as cir
cumstances arise, whether the postmaster
requested 1t or not. The aggregate sal
aries paid to those not connected with
the office amounted to $16, 100. The post
master says the inspector knows nothing
about these names beyond the fact that
thew are on his rolls by written authority
of the Post Office Department and the
reason. therefore, is undoubtedly clear to
that department. The inspector recommends
that the roster be confined to bona noe
employes of the office and only such re-
tanned as the needs of the service apply.
This. he says. will REFUGE the expenditure
many thousands of dollars without impair
ing the efficiency of the service.
son on January Z, 1901, called the atten ;
ton of Postmaster Merritt of Washington
to reports of post Office inspectors, which
recommended certain changes In personnel.
Postmaster Merritt reported that he car
ried out the recommendations SO far as
his actions could do SO, and referring to
the changes directed said that they had
been already made In number of In
stances Several of those cited as on the
rolls, according to the postmaster's reply.
have been separated from the service OF
the Washington ONCE.
Mr.. Smiths Comments.
The original charges Of Mr.. Tulloeh
made to Postmaster General Smith and
the conclusions reached by Mr.. Smith In