Omaha daily bee., 1903-05-24
TULLOCHS CHARGES FALL
Postm 8 srGsneral Gives Out Answers Of
Tracswoll and Castle.
ONLY DIFFERENCE FOUND SEVEN DOLLARS
Complete Reply 60 Allegations of I'm
mense Irregularities Existing I'm
Administration OF the d
Postal Affairs.

WASHINGTON. May 2s.-Postmaster
General Payne today made public the
answers OF Henry-A. Castle. the auditor
OF the treasury for the Postohice depart
ment, and Comptroller Tracewell OF the
treasury regarding the Tulloch charges of
irregularities in the postal administration.
The answers specifically deny wrongful
procedure. Mr.. Tracewell charges, It. w.
Gilmore, formerly an expert of his ONCE.
OF abstracting, but returning on demand
the letter authorizing Mr.. Gilmore to ex-A
anime the accounts of any postofice except.
Washington and New York. Mr.. Tracewell'
alleges that this letter was written by
Gilmer himself with authority from the
comptroller. - .
Mr.. TrPcewell says the sum OF the tenta-
tive allowances by Gilmer and the com
mittee aggregated 1892, that the credits
finally disallowed out OF a total Of S250,OOO
were SIZES, Of which no claims only 81 was
incorrectly audited. This, Mr.. Castle says.
is the basis of Mr.. Tulloch's charges of the
di~sallowance- of $4,000 or $4,000.
TIL postmaster generals statement
says the letters are made public at the.
request of the two officers, and 1t will
appear from them how much truth there
is in Mr.. Tulloch's statements Mr.. Castle
in his answer says Mr.. Tulloch shares in
a prevailing Misrepresentation that an,
auditor is charged with keeping other Of
hciais correct and honest and demanding
the necessities Of the service. The auditor
says that such functions would be fatal
to administrative freedom by the head Of
a department.
Illegal Items DisaIlOwed.
Regarding the settlement and subse-
quent revision Of an account OF the late
Postmaster Willett of Washington, which
involved alleged Irregularities in Porto
Rico during the military operations there,
the auditor replied that every item. believed
to be illegal was disallowed by the auditors
office. The auditor adds:
Men could be employed. compensation
nAea ana expenses allowed as circum-
S.aadees demanded; Every expenditure
department; every voucher approved and
actually paid by a postmaster weeks or
aIditor's O ONCE for aREIEosWSssnnsoe..'0 Many tS eae
penditures were unusual and q few Of
d%isaIlowed. %s to w hssa 70 the he service MasSee w SSs
necessary or the compensation cxtravagant
the department was the sole judge. But
10000 appropriated only $685. SIS was ac-
sSe eainaISy c sxesede 6ad * into { ESssF tfea sss balance
Some months after one of the quarterly
accounts OF the washington postofhce re-
porting $255, 800 in expenditures for ell pur-
had been settled. T. w. Gilmer, repre-
senting the comptroller of the treasury,
withdrew the same for revision, as author
and raised many entirely irrelevant ques.
lions in a letter asking for Explanations
letter from the comptroller .~disallowlhg
certain amounts"
Objections Rapidly Abandoned.
One after another the objections were
abandoned BY Expert Gilmer, or overruled
the ON oficiSis piedses that the hsd ir regular p 5rS%
tnIs4 Until the amount Intimately disSp-
But Mr.. Giimer's letter pointed out that
several Of the items might legally be paid
were cured BY. new vouchers and credits
al k%osSsr T ftsI s nS sss sarS ISL Sonds 10,
Rico, was legitimate expenditure. but
was Objectionable to the comptroller as a
fprecedent.. Under his; unquestioned discre-
ton the. department covered this charge By
allowing Increased compensation. f
Two items of sos each (per diem as me-
revealed by Tulloch and not unknown al
the auditors office. In one case the de-
credited to the postmaster. We have no
record of a subsequent credit as to the
| OCher. & o.
One item of s4.s5 for improper charges in
an expense bill OF C.. c.. Magee. a postal
clerk, was disallowed. =
Larner, was disallowed as personal expense
This accounts, for the seas nominally
"disallowed" In the certificate Of differ
ences.
All Amounts to seven. Dollars.
The two items last named, aggregatinl
81, thus represent absolutely the entire dis
agreement between the. auditor and the
comptroller, so far as the evidence was &C
While this. revision was thus barren. Of
financial gain, 1t was indirectly profitable.
an account wherein Mr.. Tulloch alleges
that the comptroller dlsallowed SO.Oo OF
$4,000 previously approved ny the auditor
and upon which he bases an assumption
that subsequent accounts would have re
vealed immensely. larger extravagances. 1
the auditors ONCE of 81 incorrectly aud
tied. ..- 80. +,
Mr.. Castle says that the funds at a post
ONCE belong to the general postal revenues
and the surplus is legally subject to draf
by the postmaster general for postal pur
poses. Although not illegal, the custom o
drawing on local funds sometimes violates
rules OF correct accounting. Hence, tn
auditor frequently suggests to the depart
ment that certain expenditures should b.
ordered paid, by postmasters, These inctud,
LINE .dCCOunlor U uCPoA NASheeA NNiNAND ~
travelling expenses.
No Power, to Prohibit.
But our efitte.% says the auditor, "un
Justly reproaches the auditor for permit
f~tingsa, practice which he had no power 4
prohibit. Mr.. Heath's expense bill, 4
which he specially aiiuuess was charged t
the proper appropriation and not to an
allowance for the Washington postonicey"
Concerning the allegation that certain
employees were paid or the rolls Of tn
washington postofice who never performeI
l~servIoe therein, II anywhere, the audito
answers that no accounting ofncial ca
know In each case whether service was &C
f~tually performed or not, and that the.
trust to the scrutiny OF departmental ON
cials and the honesty OF postmasters. IN
postmaster at Washington, he says mad
afndayit on his quarterly account that tn
credits therein were just and true, and tn
auditor says It Is hard to believe that tina
afndavit was false.
The FIRST answer OF the comptroller to tn
postmaster general is dated May 2 an
denies that any political pressure wa
lbrouRht to bear, or attempted, to secure tn
.unnression of the investigation Of tn
washington accounts. and that the exsmi
nation hsA been completed. He says tn
attorney general and the nrst Assistau
I -. rkaWnad Gnunar Wit