Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-06-25
POSTAL RING
ESCAPES LAW
Statute of Limitations Pre-
vents Government From
Prosecuting
PROOF IN HANDS OF Mr.. PAYNE
Postmaster General Holds Evidence of
a Syndicate Formed to Sell Promo
tions and Appointments--M achen
Said to Be the Head.

Washington, June 22.-Postmaster
General Payne has absolute proof that
a ring existed in the New York post
office which was engaged in selling APP
ipointments and promotions and that
August w. Machen, former superin-
Stendent of the free delivery service,
now under Indictment tor accepting
brides, was the head Of this ring and
participated in the profits.
A large number of New York Off
cials and possibly some prominent
New York politicians are involved
There will be no prosecutions, as the
offenses were committed more than
four years ago and the statute of linn
itations will prevent action. The syn
dictate was in operation seven years.
May AnnuI Contracts.
Postmaster General Payne has or
dered held up all contracts for postal
supplies for the fiscal year beginning
July l which were made by George w.
Beavers, the former superintendent
OF the salaries and allowances division.
The postmaster general has directed
that the contractors be notified that
their contracts with the government
may be annulled. This point will be
determined after an investigation has
been made as to whether any of them
are tainted with fraud or corruption.
Postmaster General Payne received
the advice from New York that an in.
.dintnnnnf will ha
resentative briggs, of Brooklyn, who
was charged with and has admitted &C
cepting a fee of S12,500 a year from a
concern which sold the government
automatic cash registers for the post
office department.
Payne Will Remain.
Persistent rumors of the resignation
of Mr. Payne are current here. Mr..
Payne himself denies that he proposes
to retire, and another high official is
also authority for the statement that
Mr.. Payne will remain in the cabinet.
The postmaster general has frequent
attacks Of acute indigestion, and his
nervous system is impaired, and if
his health should force him to return
to private life he will do so, but he
insists that he will not retire on ac-
count of any criticism of his course in
the investigation of the scandals of his
department.
Roosevelt Is Satisfied.
Mr.. Payne is excessively annoyed
by the reports that there is friction
between himself and the president.
There is the highest authority for the
statement that the president indorses
the conduct of Mr.. Payne in the inves.
tigation of the scandals, and while
it is true that Mr. Roosevelt would
have preferred that the investigation
of the charges made by ex-Cashier
Tulloch against the officials of the
previous administration should have
been deferred until the corrupt Off
Gals in the department had been re-
moved and prosecuted, he is entirely
satisfied now that the older charges
have been disposed of.
Chicago Is Not Involved.
So far as selling appointments and
promotions in the Chicago postoffice
Is concerned, none of the officials here
will admit he has any evidence that
this practice was engaged in there.
They assert that no charges of this
character have been made, and the in
vestigation that will be conducted
will be for the purpose of determin-
ing whether or not the Office brok-
erage business prevailed there.
Some weeks ago the charge was
made that positions in the New York
postofice were being sold, but the Off
Gals regard this as one of the many
trivial charges which have been made
since the investigation was begun.
Upon inquiry, however, absolute proof
was obtained that officials were being
paid for appointments. ~
Fewer Promotions.
After this discovery the postmaster
general became suspicious and de-
cided to make searching investiga.
ton of all the large Offices, as Machen,
the leader of the ring, had as much in
fiuence in making appointments in
those Offices as he did in New York.
Therefore inspectors will be sent to
Chicago, st. Louis, Philadelphia, Bos
ton, and all the other large offices to
search for evidence that appointees
paid for their positions.
These appointments were under the
jurisdiction of George w. Beavers and
1t already has been shown that he
authorized the appointment of clerks
of the higher grades in excess of the
number provided by law. Many of
these illegal appointments were made
in Chicago and in order to make the
number conform to the law there will
be only 1000 promotions in Chicago
during the next fiscal year, as against
1900 last year. -
katzer Is Recovering.