Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-17


within the period Of limitations.
Fourth The report of Inspector Crowell
and the facts relating to the claim OF
George w. Beavers above set forth, fndi
may have existed both within and heyond
the period Of limitations in the Nav YORK
post office.
Fifth. The persons primarily responsible
for the aforementioned abuses and the re.
sulting scandals appear to have been Perry
S. Heath, then first assistant postmaster
general, and George w. Beavers, then chief
of the salaries and allowance division,
neither of whom is now in the service of the
United States.
Those Who Were Responsible.
Sixth. Charles Emory Smith, late Post
master General: James P Willett, late post
master of Washington, now deceased; john
A. Merritt, his successor in the said office
and it's present incumbent; Robert J. Trace
well, controller, and Henry A. castle, au-
ditor for the Post Office Department, all
appear to have shared, In some measure,
their responsibilities; the late POSTMASTER
General for his seeming failure, notwith-
standing repeated warnings, to appreciate
the gravity of their misconduct and the
consequent necessity for it's prompt and
adequate punishment; the two postmasters
for liberation of these abuses and obe IL
ence to plainly improper orders without
exposure, or, apparently, protest, and the
auditor and controller for acting upon lax
and arbitrary principles in the administra-
ton of their respective offices whereby the
payment of Illegal and seemingly fraudu-
lent claims by the treasury was rendered
possibly.
Seventh The employment of surbordi-
mates IN post offices about to become CLASH
fled for the purpose Of thus securing their
ADMISSION without examination into .Ale
classified service was practice in frauden
legls, and officials guilty of it thereby es-
nyxyrl fr,nc fo,.
ployment
Eighth. The employment of so-called Ia
borers' to do classified work was clearly
illegal and, under the express directions
of the civil service rules, to be punished by
dismissal from Office.
Ninth. An agreement by any public Off
Ger with any person, whether in or out of
the public service at the time, that the lat
ter shall receive the emoluments Of public
employment under pretense of being en-
ployed without rendering any services to
the government constitutes a conspiracy
to defraud the United States, and, if fol-
lowed by any overt act tending to it's ac-
complishment by any of the parties, renders
all of them responsible under the terms of
the United States Revised Statutes section
544O
Gilmer's Treatment Unjust.
Tenth. The detail of Thomas w. Gilmer
to different work of a lower grade, and at
reduced compensation, by F. A. Wander
lip. then acting secretary Of the treasury,
under all the circumstances attending it.
was apparently unjust and oppressive, and
certainly disastrous to the public interest
since 1t would be generally and naturally
understood by those cognizant of it as a
punishment inflicted on a faithful public
servant. who had. by the honest discharge
of his duty, Incurred the enmity of active
and influential politicians 1t seems to
have been preceded by no sufficient inquiry
on the part of Acting Secretary VANDERBILT
and would render proper an investigat ton
OF the latter's conduct were he still in the
public service.
Eleventh. While we express no opinion
as TO the propriety of Seymour w. Tul-
lochs removal from the office Of cashier by
postmaster Merritt, the precipftancy and
d1scourtesy shown by the latter in affecting
this removal seem to have been without
Just1hcat1on and tend to cast grave doubt
upon the good faith of his EXPLANATION of
the removal itself, and his course was
clearly regrettable in the public interest. as
leading ma turally to the belief that the
cashier had been in fact removed for his
failure to comply with irregular and even
Illegal demands upon the funds in his 80
tody. w..
Some Recommendations
I'VE very respectfully recommend
l. That thorough investigation be
ordered. If 1t has not been already ordered
ta) OF the administration Of the Washing
ton post office, CO. of the administration of
the New York post office and (c) of the ad-
min1stration Of the office of the first as
sistant postmaster general within the past
three years.
1T is probable that this recommendation
has been already in great part, and per
haps altogether. anticipated by the action
Of the present Postmaster General: but as
we are not at the moment of preparing this