The sun., 1903-04-14
POSTMASTER. .GENERALONDBCK
BEGINS INQUIRY INTO DEPART
MENT SCANDALS.
He sayp He Directed the Investisations
Now Going on and That They VIII DC
Conducted Promptly and with vigor
Guilty to BE Summarfly Dealt with.

Conducted Promptly and with NgoF
Guilty to BE Summarily Dealt Win
WASHINGTON. April i3.-Postmaster'
! General Payne returned to Washington
this morning. but contrary to general ex'
pectations there were. no important develop.
ments in tho Post ONCE investigation Of
! alleged scandals. Mr.. Payne arrived In
Washington at $50 and remained, at
his hotel until o'clock Yith his private
4 secretary. Mr.. whitney. informing himself
regarding what had taken place during bis
absence. Then the Postmaster General
went to his desk in the Department and.
, before consulting with any OF his sub
ordinates, made the following statement
to the representatives Of the press; .. .
During the months Of January and
February information and reports reached
me which deemed II for the public interest
| to investigate, and I personally gathered
such information and facts as would enable
the proper officers OF the Department to
undertake q thorough investigation as to
! the truth or falsity OF these reports.
Il directed Fourth Assistant Postmaster
| General Bristow to take the proper steps
| TO institute the necessary inquiry, using
for that purpose the Post Office Inspector
division and such other methods as would
thoroughly ascertain the truth or falsity
OF the charges or insinuations made. and
he was instructed to proceed promptly
and with vigor during my absence.
"Since my return this morning, have
not SEN Gen. Bristow. so that i am. not
advised OF the progress made. The in
vestigation will continue, and II any wrong
doing is disclosed, the parties guilty will
be summarily dealt with. II the system
or method Of doing business in the Depart
ment is faulty. the proper remedies will be
applied without fear or favor. / inaugu-
rated the investigation with the determi-
nation that It should be exhaustive. 1t
is proper for me to add that laid before
the President the information which had in
my possession, and that he fully approved
Of the action proposed by me-
Mr.. Payne then sent for Mr.. Bristow and
listened to a brief account OF the various
investigations at present under way, with
the results attained up to the present time.
He then sent for FIRST Assistant Postmaster
General Wy.,ne, and, after brief conference,
returned to his hotel.
When seen tonight Mr.. Payne emphasized
the paragraph in his official statement given
out before his conference with MIR. Bris-
tow, that the investigation would be
thorough and exhaustive. He went so
far as to say that the inquiry would cover
the entire administration OF the postal
service, indicating that even those bureaus
against which no formal charges have
been filed or informal allegations Of wrong
doing made, would be included in the in
ouiry. which now has as its object, in addi-
! tion to the determination of the truth or
falsity OF the charges Of fraud and corrup-
tion. the discovery OF the facts as to whether
the system and method OF doing business
in the Department Is faulty or inefficient.
II il Mr.. Payne's desire. now that the
present scandals are under investigation.
TO make the departments house cleaning
absolutely thorough and TO leave no room
for any possible recurrence In the future OF
the present highly unpleasant and uIsatis-
factory condition of AFFAIRS. ~'Ni '"
The Postmaster General would make no
statement as To his We've concerning, the
magnitude Of the various scandals' under
istenoe Of the many rings. .syndicates,-
and scombinations' which, II mas been
20 often alleged, have hourished in the de-
partment Of which he Is the head.
Mr. Payne did say. however, that Fourth
Assistant Postmaster General Bristow had
conducted the various Investigations in an
efficient and thorough manner and that
considerable progress had been made.
He would give no indication OF the result
| Of the inquiries up to the present time,
! and said that the character OF the investi-
| cations was such that It was impossible to
say just when the report Of the Fourth
| Assistant would be laid before him. This.
| he said, would not be until every detail OF
| the administration OF the service had been
| inquired into and passed upon.
The most significant feature in the Post
master Generals official statement is con-
! sdered by those familiar with the situa-
ton to be the emphasis placed upon the
! fact that Mr.. Payne personally gathered
facts and information, directed the investi-
vigor' during his absence from Washing
| ton and inaugurated the exhaustive and
detailed inquiry that is now being made.
This statement is OF interest and inn
portance in view OF the persistent report
| that Mr. Payne took no stock in the stories
concerning the alleged scandalous condi-
| tion of affairs in the Department, and had
left Washington Ia the belief that such
inquiries as were necessary would he made
in an official and secret manner and that
nothing Of interest or importance con-
cerning postal affairs would come to light
IL is believed that IL will be at least
month before Mr.. Bristow will hand his
report 70 Mr.. Payne. and that until that
time no action will he taken looking TO
the resignation or enforced retirement
! Of any one OF his s,ibordinatee.
II is also learned on high authority that
the facts 80 far disclosed by the investiga-
tions would not warrant the criminal prose-
| cution OF any official Of the Department.
1 EYtravagance and irregularity have been
found to exist In one or more bureaus OF
| the Department, but up to date proof of
ANYTHING Of a more serious nature has not
been forthcoming.
II became known to-day that one of the
charges. against Superintendent Machen
| Of the Free Delivery Division, which Is
now being investigated. with his other
| ofYicial acts during the last eight years. is
that he accepted ssoo from a woman as
/ compensation for securing her a place In
! the Post ONCE Department. This same
| charge was brought against Mr.. Machen
| about three years ago. and an investigation
| failed to substantiate II.
Mr.. Machen, when seen toni Rht, EN-:
phatically denied the charge and ridiculed
! the fact that II had been brought up at this
| time. as, he said, reference 10 the records
| of the former investigation, or even another
| inquiry, would show that the charge is abb
| solutefy without foundation.