The sun., 1903-04-11
p.O, CHARGES NAME OF. WEIS
DEPUTY IN REGISTRY OFFICE
HE SAYS THEY'RE FALSE.
a., q Friend OF Beavers and . Republican
Count, Committeeman-Once Handled
4 Cierkt Legislative Fund. but Knows
No Promotion syndicate-More Denials

Count, Commit eeman-Once Handled
. Clerk, Legislative Fund. but Knows
No Promotion syndicate-More Denials
The Washington story Of tho operations
N the Post Office Department Of a pro
notion syndicate with a subordinate
n6cial under Postmaster Van Cott as its
.oen, In the New York Post Office, has
sirred up the Office here from top to bot
,om The sensation was all the greater
bere because it In now admitted unoificially
bv some Of the higher officers In the depagt-
uent that there may be something In the
story
Ali In authority in the New York Office
still officially expressed the opinion yester-
day that such a scheme for securing graft
~ was indicated In the charges made in
Washington was impossible. But. speak
ing privately and stipulating that their
names should not be used. some officials
admitted that they had grave suspicious
that in the main the story that money had
been used Illegally to secure promotions
might be true.
One man who holds high rank in Post e
master Van Colts Official family admitted
thst for eome little time he has susps cted
that two m, whose names have been
mentioned in come ion with the opera
tjons OF the 'syndiate' have been con-
crn,d In promotions Of Post Offios en-
ploy',s
whn the first reports about the sals of
promotions at from SIS to $50 and salary
pro age were pceived on Thursday
night the Post Office officials were greatly
nystifit as TO the i'd nifty OF the syndi-
nt S alb gcd agent here. The name was
iwn out at Washington as We'll and
the d, spatchss said that he was q SUPER
ints nd. mt OF division in the New York
ofsce. There IL no -Weil' in such place
hr But yesterday afternoon the news
cane from Washington that a mista Ike
in the Ia nc had been made and that the
mnr Of thr alleged agent WIS Weis.
Otto r. Weis. second assistant superin-
tendent Of the registry division. IL the
only perso Of that name who Ia an official
OF the New York Post ONCE. Mr.. Weis
lives at 3s4 East ls5th street and Ia a member
OF the Republican County Committee for
the Thrty-afth district. When reporters
asked him about the Washington charges
he inquired carefully when the alleged
collections Of money for promotions were
said to have been made. On being told
that the Warrington ad vices said they were
recent, he said:
Il have never collected any money what
ever ior the purpose Of having men pro-
moted OF under the pretence Of getting them
advanced. and I know nothing Of any So
called promotion syndicate. personally
have never collected q cent from any postal
employee for any purpose, but up TO a
little over Q year ago was chairman OF the
egislation committee Of the National Assoc
cAticn Of Pest Once Cerks, and In that
apcty had . great deal TO do with the
m.ney whioff was collected from members
and sent to Warrington to the associa-
tiens representative who were koking
after cur interests before Congress.
Since the Presidential order Of Feb. 20.
1907, forbidding postal employees from
attempting 10 influence legislation and
threatening them With dismissal II they
did, the association has virtually gone out
Of existence except a. . beneficiary body.
Since that time no collections have been
made by the legislation committee, and
have had nothing to do with any collec-
tions n any kind
When Mr. Wes was asked II the fund
collected was a corruption fund he said
thai the fund collected by the clerks or
ganization was never over 81 500 and often
under 81 900 Although he did not actually
collect sny Of the money, he said. he was
the member Of the committee who sent the
morey TO the associations representatives
in Washington.
At one time, Mr.. weis said, Representa-
tive Tim Campbell was in charge OF the
association's interests at Washington. and
at another time lawyer known as Jimmy
Davis had the job. As result Of the or
ganization's efforts several laws had been
passed by Congress bettering the condi-
tons Of the postal clerks. Among the
benefits secured were paid substitutes
during the clerks ffteen-dsy vacations
and a classification Of clerks. Mr.. Weis
added emphatically:
IL any body says that had anything
TO do with this alleged syndicate in the
New York Post ONCE. he says what Is un-
true and false in every particular. have
known George w. Beavers, and some time
ago we got up memorial or thanksgiving
document TO Mr.. Beavers. We did this
because We liked him. and II was supported
by men in Brooklyn and ir other places
But that !, or Mr.. Beavers. or any Douy
else. had anything to do with any wrong
doing in the New York Post OffiCe IL un-
true in every particular
Weis has been In the New York Post Of1ce
since April II, 1870. He has been second
assistant superintendent Of the registry
division for about two years. Before that
he was clerk in the same division Beavers,
Who recently resigned under pressure his
Job as superintendent Of the salary and
Allowance division Of the Post ONCE Do
psriment at Washington. from which the
alleged promotion syndicate La said to
have operated. was for a number Of years
head Of the registry division here, and weis
was clerk under him.
III there is any crookednors In the New
York Post ONCE said Postmaster Van
eo't yesterday. Il don't know IL But j
nope they'll investigate this Office from
top TO bottom. II there Is anything wrong.
nesven only knows want to know IL. IL
,heret crook around here. want to see
nm caught, and the quicker the better.
Th!s story about a promotion syndicate
sf'kts me a. very strange, however. I
~n see how IL q uld have been worked. /.
mo can't see how ii could have operated
on any such scale a. the Washington de-
speches would seem 10 indicate. II In
P0lbe. Tf n, ursa that eT ~, 4 baa i'm