New-York tribune., 1903-06-18

| diem mechanic to September 80, 1898 for ,,c car
fare $50 so to September 50 log3, e. tns hssistant
auce having been continued by FIRST AssIst.iit
/ Postmaster General, s. and A. Division. octoper
4, 1898.
| PAYMENTS ORDERED BY HEATH.
That on October %. 1898 the acting First AS
sistant, free delivery system authorized esne sne
| payment to mechanics at the washington once @
for services performed in connection with paint
ing repairing and erecting street letter th SoHes'
during October as follows: Oliver H. Snth,
| So (flere follow the names and amounts OF the
That on November 49, 1898 Acting First AS
sistant free delivery system, authorized pay
| rnent to Oliver H. Smith and Robert y. WlhstL
letter box painters at the rate OF % per e~y
| for services performed during the first haif OF
November and stated that on the 30th INST
certificate for the entire month would De sent
That from these letters it will be seen that
| since october 81 specific instructions have been
| forwarded in each instance for payment TO MT
The cashier states that during the summer
Smith was in service at Camp Anger, Va
military postal service. and on August 10 1890
| he rendered under oath the following statement
| of account:
Necessary expenses In July 1sas for % car
handiing military n mail at Falls SIS GO
which was paid by order of the First Assistant
! Postmaster General S. and A. Division, August
| & 1898 from appropriation from military postaf
! service That on September s, 1898, he was paid
| on account rendered under oath for transporta-
ton. meals and handling military mail at lamp lamp
!
| 1898. S12. authorized by the s. and A DIVISION
| September 8, 1898. a
Cashier states that while so engaged it is diff
cult to see how Smiths per diem expenses as a
| mechanic repairing street letter boxes was
earned. yet payment was directed by fIGst S AS
/ sistant. free delivery system. October 8, 1885
Under authority from S. and a A Division. &C
tober 4. 1898. Smith was paid ~ % or stTeee
| car fares quarter ended September 50, 1898.
| Most of this time was spent at Camp AlSer
| That Smith absent in Indiana for ABOUT
| two or three weeks at election time, but drew
| his full per diem mechanic repairing street
| letter boxes. though per diem employees are not
| usually entitled TO leave OF absence with pay.
frea delivery system. November 20, 1898, for the
| payment of mechanics employed in the WASH
! ington office for services during the month OF
| November
The Inspector calls attention to a letter from
the First Assistant. free delivery system dated
| December D. 1898 and filed in his office In Whlch
! it is stated that owing to the exhaustion or the
amount of money set aside for painting ana re-
pairing letter boxes for the current year ne is
| compelled to discontinue the services OF the Iet-
! ter box painters at the close or business be-
| cember TO- and states that each payment to
| Smith since October 1 has been speclncaliy
! authorized, and the services or letter Do&
painters were discontinued December lO he did
| not deem it advisable to make any payment 10
I Smith until further advised.
Referring to the peculiar dual position ana
| payments of Smith, and the possibility of dis
| allowance of some of the payments by the
auditor, he says he has taken all precautlon pos
sible to keep the records of his offlce conplete,
and to make no payment except upon authorltV
| of superior officers
EXPENSES OF HEATH AND BEAVERS.
Attention is called to certain vouchers. which
| are described which were authorized to be palo
| by the First Assistant Postmaster General sucn
as July 30, 1898, expenses of Perry 3 HeaIR anu
| George w. Beavers, incurred In visiting Phlia-
| delphia and New-York on official business
| &S1 %; September 80, expenses or george w.
| Beavers travelling official business, 91I 90
| July % expenses of NJ. w. Louis ana BIain w
| Taylor, travelling on official business, $50 10.
| fTI,a o+nar itor17
! form as the examples given9 The Inspector
states that these vouchers do not appear 10
| have been itemized in the proper manner, nor IS
| the necessity for the expenditure or TINS money
| by the Washington Postofhce apparent ana tiat
| a full and complete explanation SHOULD De 1naue,
| especially many of the partles Drawing money
| on these accounts are othclaIs OF clerks recel'-
| ing money from the department.
Attention is called to seven cleaners, placeo on
the payroH of the Washington Office under
authority of the First Assistant postmaster
! General, to be charged to the appropriation 1or
| miscellaneous expenses CThe names OF theSs
! cleaners-aIl female-date of appointment ana
| salary are given) The inspector states that
| these parties the payroll and nave re
ceived pay from date of appointment TO June %
! 1899 the date of the inspection and upon MS
making inquiry Of postmaster as 10 the natuLe Ll,
of service performed by them, where employed,
postmaster was unable to give any information
! on the subject, nor was any one cohhecleu WIN
| the Washington office able to give any lnIorht-
! tion as to where they employed or the
nature of their work and inspector is of the
| opnion that practically no service Whatever mas
| been rendered for the money expended.
Smith follows the above with summary of
| the auditors objections to numerous accounts
! This is too long for reproduction here, but the
remarks following are worthy of note:
| 1rsnec+or states that upon receipt of the
| abova letters from the Controller the cashier
| of the Washington office suspended all payments
| fo the persons mentioned and called upon them
| N furnish the affidavits required He was. how
| ever required to continue these payments upon
| direct written order from the postmaster, VINO
| ri191 1lV
| by the First Assistant Postmaster Generai. inc
| navnentS were made under the CASHIERS pro-
| test
| ORDERED QUESTIONABLE PAYMENTS.
| I'm conclusion the inspector states that the
! files of the cashier show full, direct and
nositiye orders superior authority for
the disbursement of all the guesttohipie
| items mentioned in this report, that the re-
| sponsibiIity for the many Illegal appoint
/ ,nants the payment of salaries to pne
and the same person. and the disbursement
| of thousands of dollars for which prhcti-
| cnIIy service was performed. should be
placed where 1T properly belongs, ana the
| many abuses corrected
| Hinder date OF July s. 1899 referring to the
| inspection of the Washington Office conciuded
| June 80 1899 Inspector OWings states that tney
| found the name of one charwoman on the roster
| of stations A and G. and the superintendent
were unable to state what duties they performed
and what salaries paid; that in conversation
| with Mr. Beavers chief of salaries and allow
ances division, after the transfer of the post
| office to Postmaster Merritt, he, Beavers re
ouested the inspector to inform the inspector in
! charge that when he struck the names OF the
! charwomen of the stations it would be we'll not
| to mention them in his report. as they were
| personal appointments of the Postmaster Cen
| eral and their appointment had been authorized
! nv the department and that they had only been
| temporarily assigned to the stations until they
| could be assigned elsewhere.
INSPECTOR IITTLE'S REPORT.