Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-06-18


expenditures for the military stations in
Porto Rico as follows:
Value of stamped paper advanced, s12, 769;
military postal service miscellaneous, ST., O63
military service pay roll, $30,259, and 1t is
suggested that this account be promptly
adjusted, more especially the item of post
age stamps and stamped paper advanced to
the following persons assigned to duty in
connection with postal service in Porto
Rico, viz: McKenna, $2.10O; Whitney, 50 1910:
Van Alstyne, 81, 100; Graft, $685. Bristow,
Sc. COO Total So, 169
Expenditures irregularly charged to the
Washington Office and which belonged to
the department itself are specified In this
exhibit. 1t says that Robert " Willett, a
son of the then postmaster drew two sal
aries from July l to December 10, 1893, one
as laborer at the city post Office at $500,
and the other as q mechanic at 81 per day
for each working day on what appears to
have been special roll of the free delivery
service and that N. H. Baker likewise was
designated as a laborer on the post office
roll April 20, 1899, at 500 per annum, and
on the same date as mechanic on the free
delivery roll at 81 day.
The inspectors. continuing, say that on
June 3O,s 1899, twenty-five employees were
borne on the rolls and paid on what has
been known as the military roll, while
the military rolf shows thirty-four names
as having been paid by the cashier of the
Washington Office.
There was also found special roll of
employees, paid from miscellaneous allow
ance, said appointments being under con-
troll Of the Post Office Department" This
roll consists of nine cleaners" with sal
aries from 800 to $500, and one physician,
at a salary of 81 100. Some of these clean
ers" appear to have performed very little
service and others none at all.
Mr.. Larner's Case
The most important exhibit is the conf
Dental report of Post Office Inspector
Smith, in charge of the Washington divi-
sion, made in July 1899, setting forth IT.
regularities which he urged should be in
vestigated. He names four employees on the
military roll who appear not to have per
formed any service in connection with mill
tary postal matters and for whose original
appointment or continuance on the rolls no
good reason exists. The payment to w. g.
Larner, a military postal clerk, under pro-
test by the cashier, OF $llS9o, subsequently
disallowed by the auditor OF the treasury
on January l. 1880. is gone into at length
and 1t Is shown that this matter was en-
tirely irregular and that payments were
directed without proper vouchers. The In
spector says that while the cashier was out
OF the office temporarily, and, having left
instructions, no final payment could be made
to Larner until his expense account was ad
justed by the auditor, Larner called and de-
manded an immediate settlement and when
settlement was not made at once appealed
to the department, and the acting postmas
ter on demurring further, was informed by
the department that the, W ashington office
held a letter from the first assistant post
master general directing payment to be
made to Mr.. Larner, and if that was not
good enough perhaps 1t would obey one
signed by the Postmaster General The
amount was finally paid under written in
structions On December, y and Ia Larner
was requested to cab at the Washington
office and furnish information required by
the auditor and return sS16 overpayment
of salary obtained by misrepresentation
but no answer was received to such re-
quests. N
Attention is called to certain items of ex-
penditures authorized for the military postal
service of supplies, furniture, travelling ex
penses. aggregating IS, 1870, with the
statement that whether or not the forego
ing items were purchased In the open mar
ket or as the result of competitive bids,
the inspector is unable to say but that
the prices paid for some of the articles
enumerated such as Wristbands at $40 each,
appear to have been highly excessive and
lead to the belief that the feature of COM
petition did not enter into the transaction.
Attention also is called to additional
irregularities in connection with pay rolls
of clerks and laborers, and to charging
premiums on the bonds of military postal
clerks. notwithstanding such expenses are
not chargeable to the United States.
The Case of o. 81. Smith.
An interesting feature concerns irregu-
larities in the appointment. compensation
and promotion of Oliver H. Smith. On No
vember 20. 1897, the first assistant post
master general authorized an allowance of
5000 per annum for his appointment as.
laborer, stating that the free delivery divt-
sion would also allow 81 per day to cover