The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-26
SCANDAL IN P.O. DEPARTMENT


sups. Dsavsrys Rssignatida Nay - vsi-
lowed b. ths Removal Of Other Oalcers
New Under Flre-Cnarges Agsinst Supt-
Msehsn % the Free Deiivesy nurcau.
WASHINGTON, March as.-It was stated
with emphads to-day at the Post Ofloe De-
psrtment that the resignation Of GeorgeW.
Beavers, chief Of the salaries and allowance
division, after twenty-three years spent
In the service, was entirely voluntary.
However that may be Supt. Beavers
resignation 10 evidently the beginning
Of . shake-up In the Department. An
investigation h now under way which will
result either In the removal Of several
Officers who have been under fire for some
time. or Of those who have been most active
In pressing the charges against them.
1t 10 well known that q most unsatis-
factory situation exists in the Post OfYioe.
Department, and President Roosevelt has
been made acquainted with the charges
against supt. Beavers. whose resignation
takes eject on the slst inst. and A. w.
Machen. superintendent Of the free de-
livery division. the other officer who has
been under fire. The conditions out Of
which the present situation grew are the
development Of years, and from time to
time charges have been made that things
were not as they should be In the bureaus
Of Machen and Beavers.
II II alleged that Supts. Beavers and
Machen have built up system Of political
patronage which has given them indie
pendent power, and which enables them
TO conduct the business Of their bureaus
In their own way. and practically without
regard for the desires Of their Immediate
superior officer, the. First Assistant Post
master General. It 10 charged that they
transact business and arrange matters
directly with Congressman instead Of act
ing through their superior officers, and
that this Is done to their own advantage
and gain. political and otherwise, to the
destruction Of discipline and to the detri-
ment Of the postal service.
Some years ago. during the earlier de- |
velopment Of the rural free delivery SER
vice. charges were made against Mr.. Machen |
to rural residents along the lines OF the |
routes. 1t being alleged that the prophet ors |
OF certain box were tipped off, in sd |
vance whenever q new route was to be I
established. thus enabling them to gel
and practically destroying competition. I,
The charges against Mr.. Beavers have
been similar. In that they allege that he |
used the power and influence OF his posi-
ton for his own benefit. These two on
cASas hnNo ocou CnhI geo WIN DelnR the
head centres Of ring that has run the
Department with high hand.
The report Of the Postmaster Genera |
last fall asked that the salaries OF the four
frssistant PostmasteB-G General beIncreased
Aom - 900 to - 500 year, but no increase
was asked for Supts. Beavers and Machsn,
The House Post Once Committee, however,
Inserted provision In the Post ONCE APP
bill increasing the salaries Of
Messrs. Beavers and Machen to $4,000 a
year, but ignored the request Of the Post
assistants be increased Those active in
pressing the charges against Beavers and
Machen point to this fact as evidence Of the
strong pull Possessed by these officers, and
'ay that they fAGrantly violated a strict
aw OF the Government service In going
over the heads Of their superiors in order
o have their salaries increased.
This and the fact that Senators and
having business In any
Vey connected with the free delivery or
diary and allowance divisions have been
n the habit OF going direct to the chiefs
u these bureaus instead OF to the First
Assistant Postmaster General greatly ag-
gravated the situation, until the relations
" Mr.. Wynne. Messrs. Beavers and Machen |
,ccame personally very bitter and at. times
threatened open rupture.
When Postmaster General Payne returns
o Washington there will probably be an
nves tigation OF the charges against Supt.
dachen and his counter charges against
dr. Wynne, with a view o. determining
whether or not the superintenden OF the
rec delivery bureau shall be amenable to
he authority OF his immediate superior,
he First Assistant Postmaster General, or I
Thether he shall resign for the good Of the
ervice.