The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1904-03-11
A NEW POSTAL SCANDAL.
CongreSSmen Who have Used Their In
fluence To Lease Postoffice Buildings
or To Get Better Pay for Post
masters.

states that another chapter III the
postotfice investigation of last sum-
mer was revealed when Chairman
! Oycrstreet. of the house committee
OF postoffices and poSt-roads. laid
| before the house OF representatives
! closely printed document OF 21S
pages recounting the instances on
. file in the postoffice department in
which members OF the senate and
house Of representatives had used
their influence with officials OF the
poStofScc department. with more or
I less success to get increases in sal
! aries OF poStmosterS. additional
! clerk hire. and advantageous leases
/ ior buildings for postoftlce pur-
! poses.
The cases arc set forth in which
members of Congress OWN build
inss which are leased by the gov
crnment for postohice purposes.
! The members involved are !. W.
! Wadesworth, OF New York: !. d.
! Bowersock. OF Kansas, and George
; L. Lillev OF Connecticut.
: The history OF 161 cases is given
in the report wherein members OF
Congress figure in getting author
: ization for clerk hire in excess OF
the amount the Office in question
was entitled to. Many of these in
creases were only temporary and
! have been discontinued. -------... o..
! Among those whose Influence
seemed good with the postottce d"-
partncnt are Senator Clay and
Representative Grisgs. OF Georg ia
Senator Pritcfard secured an IN
crease for clerk hire for Greenvllle.
i y. C.. from SO to Sl5o per an1um'
which on December l. 1908. was
discontinued altogether. He also
obtained an increase from $40 to
S14o for Wake Forest. \. e.,
which was reduced to the former
amount October I. 1908.
Senator NcLaurin appears tor
an increase in South Carolina.
REPRESENTATIVES Brownlow and
Gibson obtained several increases
4; Tennessee which have been re-
duced since. Six out OF eleven
cases in Virginia are down to the
credit OF Representative Swanson
while Park .Agnew'S name also ap-
pears for others in that state.
There are accounts OF III in
stances in the report. where mcnl-
bcrs of Congress have made recon-
mendations in connection with
leases OF buildings for poStothce
purposes.
Senator Ovcrmar is the owner
j OF the building i'll which the post
office at Salisbury. y. C.. is kept.
! The report says that on taking his
seat as a United States Senator
! he offered to surrender the lease
but the offer was declined By the
! Government. it being held that the
| lease was not i1validatcd by his
election as Senator.
The report declares that the
files in the postofice department m
: dicatc that the office at Iuskesee.
| .Ala. is owned by Representative
! THOMPSON. of Alabama. The re-
port gives the correspondence be-
. tween Beavers and Representative
! Thompson in his successful efforts
~ have the rent allowance ncreas-
ed from $40 to 5000 annually.
.Among the names OF senators
and members appear in the report
as having made representation to
the postoffice department concern
! inc leases OF premises for post
! offices. and for allowances for rent.
fuel and light appears that OF Con-
eressrnan Finley. OF South Caro-
| lima.
REPORT CAUSES LIVELY TIMES.
Washington. March o.-That an
investigation OF the poStoflce de-