The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-06-18
TULLOCRS CHARGES ARE SUSTAINyJ BY
 REPORTS OF POSTOE.1CE INSPECTORS
at ys1 zoo a year."
 WITHOUT ANY AUTHORITY.

The inspector says he knows of no au- thority of law for his appointment or promotion. The inspector calls attention to a letter of the cashier of the Wash ington office, addressed to the Postmas- ter, dated December 20 ,ls9S. to the ef- feet that on that day Smith and a Mr. Towers called; that Smith asked for his per diem as a mechanic and was in- formed by the cashier that he had no , authority to pay him, and that 1t would be necessary for him to obtain the actual letter from the department; that Smith stated that MT. Heath said no authority other than given was needed; that Tow CTS remarked, That is your answer, then? General Heath wants to know why you do not pay Mir. smith," and the cashier replied that he would furnish General Heath with a full statement of ] the case, but that such request should come through the Postmaster. When Towers replied: Shall I report to Gen. eral Heath that you refuse to give him the informationF' to which the cashier replied that he was under no obligations to take orders from Towers or communi- ! cate with the department through him. but would write a statement and deliver ! 1t to the acting Postmaster (the Post I master having left the building).
 HEATH SMITHS SPONSOR. Towers then made an effort to tele- phone the First Assistant Postmaster General without effect: that Towers then said he was in General Heath's room at the department when Smith called and said he could not get his money; that General Heath then called up the s. and A. division and was informed that no further authority was needed and told him (Towers) to go down with Smith and vryhx he r,nt erak hto The cashier reported that Towers was under the influence of liquor and dis posed to be abusive.
 Attention Is next celled by the inspec- tor to certain vouchers authorized to be paid by the First Assistant Postmaster General, such as July 22, 1898 expenses to Perry s. Heath and George W. Beavers, incurred in visiting Philadelphia and New York on official business, $S7.25; Septem- Der 30, expenses of George W. Beavers, travelling on official business. s1775: July 30. expenses of M. W. Louis and B. W. Taylor. travelling on official business, $5015 The inspector states that these vouchers do not appear to have been itemized in the proper manner, nor is the necessity for the expenditure of this money by the Washington postofice ap- parent and that a full and complete ex- planation should be made, especially as many of the parties drawing money on these accounts are officials or clerks re- ceiving money from the department
 Attention is called to seven cleaners, placed on the pay roll of the Washing ton office under authority of the First Assistant Postmaster General to be charged to the appropriation for miscei- laneous expenses. The names of these cleaners-all females-are given
 The Inspector states that neither the postmaster nor any one connected with the Washington office was able to give any information as to where they were employed or the nature of their work and the inspector is of opinion that practi- cal!y no service whatever has been rem dered for the money expended.
 The inspector says that by the over tapping of lease executed July 2S, 1897, by the Union Building Company of Wash ington and the Postmaster General Sep- temoer 1S, 1897, the government lost $625 and that the building was paid for one month before It's occupancy.
 ORDERED TO PAY IT.
 The inspector reports that when the cashier of the Washington postofice on letters from the comptroller suspended payments to certain persons mentioned. he was required to continue these pay- ments upon direct written order of the postmaster, who states he was verbally instructed in his action by the first assis- tant postmaster general"
 Tho payments were made under the cashiers protest.
 In conclusion the inspector states that the files of the cashiers office show full direct and positive orders from superior authority for the disbursement of all the questionable items mentioned in the ln- spectors report, that the responsibility for the many illegal appointments, the payments of two salaries for one and the same person. and the disbursements of thousands of dollars for which practical no service was performed should be plac- ed where it properly belongs and the many abuses corrected.
 Reference is made by the inspector to discovery of names of three charwomen whose duties the station superintendent did not know, and it is added:
 NO CHORES FOR CHARWoMEN.
 "Mr. Beavers, chief of s. and A. divis- ion requested the inspector to inform the inspector in charge that when he struck the names of charwomen of the station 1t would be well not to mention them in his report as they were personal appoint ments of the postmaster and their ap- pointment had been authorized by the 
 temporarily assigned to the stations until they could be assigned elsewhere"
 The inspector cites payments to Cath erine 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 car liers for overtime charges. aggreRating A.655. The inspector says this amount disbursed from July l. 1898, to May 1, 1899. was disbursed without authority of law.
 The Comptroller of the Treasury in a letter to the postmaster at Washington dated April 26. 1899, calls for a statement from each of these persons showing what payments they have received from other disbursing officers of the government for services or expenses from July 1. to Sep tember 30, 1898. Machen. Lorenz and Hurt. 1t appears. were paid per diem cov- ering the same period by the disbursing clerk Of the Department of Justice, from the appropriation for defending suits In letter carriers claims against the United States before the Court of Claims.
 CONTINUED TO GET PAY.
 These parties continued to draw pay until the receipt of the comptroller's let ter. the necessity for such service sud- denly and finally ceasing with final pay ment for the month of April.
 Referring to voucher of letter carrier A. A. Erb. July l. to September 10 1898. for $l95. the Comptroller called attention to the death of this letter carrier Sep tember TO- while the voucher shows pay ment to him up and including the date of his death. The Comptroller says that f. fNtg ip