Evening star., 1903-07-29
AFTER LONG FIGHT
CHARGES BY FORMER FIRM OF
CONTRACTORS NOT SUSTAINED.
Grand Jury Hearing Testimony, but
Has Made No Report-Suit
Against Contractor.

The contract 1Or supplying Niic ose OAAiNS
Department with money order blanks 1or
four years beginning September next VIII
be awarded to Mr. Paul Herman of New
York tomorrow.
This contract would have been signed to-
day, but certain papers that the department
desires to have in its possession had :.ot
been received up to noon. These papers. 1t
was learned from Mr.. Herman. were mailed
in New York today and will reach the de-
partment this afternoon. They will be here
too late for official action today, so that
the case will be taken up the first thing to-
morrow morning and disposed Of
The decision to award this contract to Mr..
Herman has followed a very hard fight 1t
is understood, on the part of Wyncoop Hal
lenbeck Crawford & Co. for the retention
of the contract which they have had for
many years. The various charges to show
that Herman was not in position to carry
out the contract have been gone INTO very
fully by the department. and in many ways
the conditions imposed Mr.. Herman
have been more severe than similar con-
tractors have heretofore been subjected to.
Eas Complied With Every Require
ment
Mr. Herman has been required to give
bond of $4,000 for the faithful perform
ance of the contract which is double the
amount of the bond heretofore required of
the contractors for the same work. 1t is
said that every restriction suggested by
the department to insure the specific per
formance of contract has been complied
with by Mr.. Herman. although many of
these have been of kind not generally re-
qured of contractors.
BY the award of this contract to Mr. Her
man the Post Office Department will In four
those years amounting to about half mil
lion of dollars.
Mr.. Herman has already begun the in
stallation of necessary machinery and is
making every effort to get good start on
the work so that by September he can
begin the delivery of the necessary blanks.
The plates that will be used in the printing
of these blanks are the property of the
government and are turned over from one
contractor to another with the passing of
the contract
1t is understood that the representa- tions
that have been made in regard to Mr.. Her
man and his alleged inability to carry out
the contract have had no other result than
to cause examination of the charges as
they have been made. 1t Is said that in no
way has Mr.. Herman failed to fulfill every
possible requirement to guarantee the gov
ernment against any Inconvenience or loss
in the carrying out of the contract
The Grand Jury's Work.
The federal grand jury adjourned at
noon today to meet again tomorrow with
out reporting any indictments. Assistant
United States Attorney Taggart told d
Star reporter this afternoon that the jury
may report tomorrow. and 1t may not re-
port until Friday. Mr.. Taggart seemed
doubtful to the time. and as to whether
or not he was making too wild a guess.
The grand jury has met in the morning
only during this week. and usually has
adjourned for the day about noon.
The examination of witnesses is proceed
ing with clock-like regularity, and each
day person and sometimes two or
three are examined The Star learned on
good authority today that the jury will
hear testimony as to Beavers. Whether or
not some testimony regarding Beavers con-
nection with the post ONCE scandal mas al
ready been heard it could not be learned,
but there is at least one witness who has
not been examined, but who will be exam
ined probably before the jury reports.
Suit Against a Contractor.
The government will institute proceed
ings against w. NJ Weighed, postal con-
tractor, and the Fidelity Trust and Deposit
Company of Baltimore, for approximately
S2OUGs which the Post Office Department
has been compelled to expend above the
amount of contract for carrying the
mails in wagons in New York city. George
G.. Travis. who yesterday was awarded the
contract. to fill the unexpired term of
month less than two years. will begin the
service August l.
Weighed was given the contract two
years ago for q term of four years at
$40 OtO and within year notified the de-
partment that he could not continue it on
account of his health. He then left for
the west The Baltimore company went on
his bond for S325 900 He allowed to
designate the New York Mail Transporta-
ton Company as subcontractor.
1t is said that Weighed had to pay the
latter s2S0.Gn year. Owing to fines and
penalties for service that was not up to
the contract, he declined to continue, but
finally agreed to keep up the service until
the end of this month. The new contract
is for 100000 a year. and at the end or
two years from July l last suit will be
instituted for the recivery of the difference
between this amount and the original con-
tract figure, s239,OO0. The troubles of the
contractor caused a recent hurried trip of
Second Assistant Postmaster General Shall
lenberger to New York to review the stu
alton and four bids We're finally secured.
Travis being the lowest. Assistant Super
intendent John NJ. Masten Of the railway
mail service has been in New York for
several weeks engaged in the adjustment
Of the service which is alleged to have been
badly demoralixed.
Salary Of Hedges Held Up.
Fourth Assistant Postmaster General
Bristow has held up the undrawn salary Of
Charles Hedges. the recently dismissed
superintendent of the city delivery service,
for the last week of his service. pending
the settlement of his expense accounts.
Hedges had asked for leave Of absence for
sixteen days. to begin on the day OF his
removal, but Mr.. Bristow has never con-
templated granting the leave.
The inspectors have been investigating
number Of local matters In this city in
which 1t is alleged George w. Beavers, the
former chief Of the division of salaries and
allowances, was concerned.
The grand jury which has been consider
ing postal cases has not yet reported, and
no specific date for the bringing in Of the
indictments has yet been fixed though 1t Ia