The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-05-24
BELT TIES
CHARGES
Postmaster General Has Very
Plausible Explanations.
.GlLMER is DIsCoURTEoUs
.GlLMER is DISCOURTEOUS
This Was Reason, According to Mr.
Payne, Why His Visits and Demands
for Papers Were Objected to
by the Clerks.
(Dy Associated Press, J

WASHINGTON, May 23.-Postmaster-
General Payne to-day made public the
answers of Henry A. Castle the Auditor
IF the Treasury. for tho Postothce De-
partment and Comptroller Tracewel. OF
The Treasury, regarding the Tulloch
charges Of Irregularities In the postal
administration. The answers speciflcal-
iy deny allegations OF wrongful proce-
dure. Comptroller TTacewell charges IT.
w, Gilmer, formerly an expert OF his
Office with abstracting, but subsequently,
returning .Ipon demand, the letter autho-
riz!ng Mr.. Galmer to examine the accounts
of any postotiiee except Washington and
New York Mr.. Tracewell alleges this let
ter was written by Gilmer himself with
out any suggestion from the Comptroller.
Mr.. Castle says that the sum OF tho ten
tauve disallowances by Expert CHlmer
and the Comptroller aggregated 1892 that
the credits finally disallowed out of to-
tai OF n quarter OF million were Sl65,
Of which he claims only seven dollars
was incorrectly audited This, Mr.. Cas-
tie says. Is the basis OF Mr.. Tulloch's
charge OF disnllowances of $4,000 or S4o,-
600.
Tho Postmaster-G Generals statement
says that the letters are made public
at tho request of tho two officials and
that 1t will appear from them how much
foundation there was for the Tulloch
statements.
WAS UNGENTLEMANLY.
Mr.. Payne adds Tn the PostofIlce De-
partment the complaint made OF Mr.. GIL
mer was that he would abruptly and dis
courteously enter the rooms OF dopart-
ment clerks, demand papers in an Often
sive way, and then carry them away
without leaving a receipt. 1t was de-
manded that he be Instructed to act as a
gentleman and leave receipts for all pa
pers which he carried out of the building
for II any were misplaced the Department
clerks would be held responsible
Mr.. Castle In hs answer says that Mr.,
Tulloch shares an prevailing msap-
prehension that an auditor is charged
with the responsibility of keeping other
officials "correct and honest" and IN de-
terming the necessities of the service The
Auditor says that such functions would
be fatal TO administrative freedom by the
head of department..
Regarding the settlement and suisse
quent revision Of an account Of the late
Postmaster Wilett. of Washington, which
involved alleged irregularities In Porto
Rico. during the military operations
there, the Auditor replies that every item
believed 10 be Illegal was disallowed by
The Auditors Offices. The wide discretion
given in the language of the appropria-
tions for military postal service. accord
Ing to the AUDITORS answers shows that
Congress intended to exempt tho dis
bursement OF those appropriations from
many OF the ordinary regulations Every
expenditure made was authorized In ,ad :
vance by the department.; every voucher
approved and actually paid by postmas-
ter weeks or months before Its presenta.-
ton TO the Auditors Office for allow
ance, Many expenditures were unusual
and q few Of them We're by us held to
Z be illegal and d!salowed, AS to whether
the service was necessary or the conpen-
so don extravaeant. the department was
the SOLO Judge