The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-06-23

GROWS BROADER
Bureau of Third Assistant Postmas-
ter General Madden to Be
Looked Into.
Bristow's Enemies Circulate Stories
Derogatory to His Management
of Public Affairs.
Postmaster General Payne Gives UP
All Hope Of Taking a Vaca-
ton This Summer.
New York Sun Special Service.

den, the only important DranCn Oh Lne
postoffice department not heretofore in"
cluded in the Investigations under the
direction of Fourth Assistant BristoW,
has at last been added to the list Of
those which will be subjected to the
dragnet of the scandal inquiry. NO
charge Of crminality or irregularity in the
transaction Of this bureau has been made.
but In view of the recent discharge OF
Superintendent Metcalfe Of the money
order division for San indiscretion" COM
mitted in trying to divert a contract for
the manufacture of money order blanks,
certain contracts in the third assistants
office for the manufacture of registry
order books will be carefully investigated.
The specifications for these books are
drawn up in the office of the third as
sistant postmaster.
It is alleged that there is only one mill
In the United States which has the
necessary machinery and can turn out the
books in sufficient quantities to meet the
demands Of the service. The mill is
operated by the general manifolding COM
pany Of Franklin, Pa, Of which Represen-
tative Sibley Of Pennsylvania, candt-
date for the Craftsmanship Of the postoffice
committee Of the house in the flfty-e eighth
congress, Is a large owner.
sIbIey Family Interested.
The Washington representative of the
company is man by the name Of VIII
son, Representative Sibley's son-in-law.
The books are bought under a. closed, or
non competitive contract and it Is ex-
planned that this Is necessary because the
general manifolding company had pat
ents on portions Of the registry book. It
is admitted that the specifications are
such that no other mill in the country can
fill them. s..s.s
The general investigation, in which it
it can be positively stated, the third as
sistant postmaster generals office will be
included, will also embrace the bureau
which has charge Of the classification Of
second and third class mail matter. This
division has been considered Of great i'm
portance since the publication of the de-
partrnent order placing so-called premium
publications in the third class instead Of
the second class, with an increase Of Z
per cent on every pound Of this matter
carried.
Frequent charges have been made Of
late that the classification OF mail matter
by the third assistant postmaster gem
erals office was conducted in a very I'M
satisfactory manner But 1t was be-
lieved by Postmast General Payne and
other high officers Of the department that
| these charges were made by disgruntled
publishers whose publications had been
| transferred from the second to the third
| class mail matter and made to pay the
| increased rate, and no attention was paid
| to them. H..
Mr.. Payne and the other officers pro-
| TESS to have absolute confidence In the
honesty, integrity and good Judgment OF
| Third Assistant Madden, and have, there
| fore, given his critics scant attention,
But it is realized that the opportunities
for graft" among his subordinates have
been many since the PRONUNCIATION Of the
order referred to, and a. careful investiga-
ton Of this branch Of the service will be
made. s.... -s.. 49,.
Offered $4,000 Bride.
1t is known that publisher some time
ago offered one of Mr.. Maddens subordi-
mates a 5000 bride to obtain his entrance
into the lower classification. The sub
ordinate was indignant, but the offer OF
the $1,000 was made in such way and
under such circumstances that no fur
Their action could be taken.
| The American Federation of Labor re.
Gently filed charges with the postoff1ce
department against the contract for the
registry books. Among other things, the
lcharges alleged that the books were bound
by child labor, and 1t was petitioned tina
the contract be annulled, or, at least, no
renewed upon it's expiration.
/ Three reports of heretofore unknown
scandals in the postal service were cir
culated freely about the postoffice depart
lment to-day, evidently instigated b!
friends of Former Superintendent Machen
One is to the effect that Former Congress
man Loud, who was chairman of the post
office committee ard friend of Super
intendent Machen until the beginning O
the present inquiry, was the Washington
representative of company which man
I ufactured and sold to the government {
device for attaching to mail boxes, which
registered the exact time Of collection
It Is alleged that 1900 Of these device
were purchased and are now in use II
D1,t I~1v, VII 10 ~ oorc 1aI Sn,1 Tr1,a 1fenD
The price paid was $4.25 each. The rea
value is said to have been $1.15. I1lquir.
at the department showed that larg
number of the automatic registers hav
been purchased, but it was said that the.
were still in the experimental stage an,
were not in general use.
Attack on BrIstow.
Another report consisted of viciou
attack on Fourth Assistant Postmaste
General Bristow, Chief Inspector Cochran
Inspector Clum and other officials of tn
: department directly concerned In the pros
ecution Of the present investigation. TIL
story is to the effect that Mr.. Bristow an
the other officials named are intereste
in a number Of placer gold-rnining claim
in Alaska, and that Inspector Clum ha
been detailed to that section ostensibl
to investigate postal conditions, but reall
to look after this mining property TIL
:
placed a government railroad commissio
at the disposal of the private secretar
: to the governor of Kansas, Mr.. Bristow'
= state, in order to enable that official
= travel around the country and dispose c
: stock in this Alaska mining ornpany.
:, Diligent inquiry warrants the state
ment that Mr.. Bristow Is interested t
: the extent Of a small sunl-about $500
= in an Alaska mining claim, but that nc
dollars worth Of stock has ever bee
issued
Waters Under Fire.
The third report in general circulate
! lis that c. M. Waters, who succeede
George w. Beavers as superintendent {
) the salary and allowance division Of til
postoffice department and about ten In
spectors. are large stockholders In a cor
per mining company with properties
Arizona It is charged by the author
. of the report that some time ago be
! fore the beginning Of the present inquir
i Waters was detailed to Boston ostensibl