Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1904-03-08
MEMBERS USED
THEIR INFLUENCE.
Interesting Chapter The In Post
Office Investigation.
OWNERS PosToFFIcE BUILDINGS.
Representative Overstreet Lays Before
the United States Congress His Re-
port as Chairman of investigating
Committee--Startlna Information.

the United States Congress His Re-
port as Chairman of investigating
Committee--Startlng Information.
Washington, March 7.-Another
chapter in the postoffice investigation
OF last summer was revealed today
when Chairman Overstreet, OF the
house committee on postoffices and
post roads, Laid before the house OF
representatives a closely printed doc
ument OF 218 pages recounting the in
stances on file in the postoffice depart
ment In which members of the "A hate
and house of representatives have used
their influence" with the officials of
the postoffice department with more
Or less success, to secure increases
In salaries of postmasters, additional
clerk hire and advantageous leases OF
buildings for the postoffice purposes.
The report is made by the unani-
nous vote of the members OF Mr..
OYerstreet's committee in response to
resolution calling for the information
introduced by Rep. Hay of Virginia.
AS the information accompanies the
report the committee recommends
that the resolution lay on the table.
Some of the transactions involving
members Of congress recorded In the
report are held to be technical viola
tions of the statutes, others are pro
nounced by members who have reaf
the report as clearly censurable. Will,
IN the majority of cases 1t is held that
members in making their recommends
lions to the department expected moth
ing not in harmony with the rules and
practices of the department.
Three cases are set forth in which
members Of congress own buildings
which are leased to the government
for postoffice purposes. The details
of these cases are given by Fourth AS
sistant Postmaster General Bristow
in a communication to Chairman Over
street as follows:
Section S739 of the Revised Statutes
provides;
No member or delegate to congress
shall directly or indirectly, himself
or by any other person in trust for
him, or for his use or benefit, or his
account, undertake, execute, hold or
enjoy, in whole or in part, any con-
tract or agreement made or entered
into on behalf of the United States OF.
ficers or person authorized to make
contracts on behalf of the United
States.
The statutes further provides:
All contracts or agreements made In
violation of this section shall be void"
Yet in the face of this statute he
AYERS, have made contracts with mem
bers Of congress for the rental of
premises, either in their own names.
the names of their agents, or some
member of their families.
Persons whose influence" seemed
good with the postoffice department
for time at least, embraced In the
history of these cases, include:
Hon. G. d. Meiklejohn, Of Connecti.
cut; Senator Clay and Representative
Griggs, of ueorgia; Senator Cullom
and ex-senator Mason and five I'LL.
nois representatives; Senator Bsver.
idge and Representatives G. B. Lands,
Crumpjacker, Watson, Hemenway,
Overstreet and former Representative
Steele, Of Indiana; former Speaker
Henderson and Representative Cous-S
ms and w. |. Smith, OF Iowa; Repre-
sentatives Miller, Bowersock and Cal.
derhead, of Kansas; Representatives
Pugh and John w. Langley, of the
census office for Kentucky: Senator
McComas and Representatives Pearrs
and Jackson, of Maryland; Hon. r. C.
Kerens, Hon. Webster Davis, Hon.
John Dougherty, seeming increases,
which afterwards were revoked for
Missouri. New York is Represented
in the list by Governor Odell. Repre-.
sentative Serene Payne, Sherman,
Ketcham and Vreeland, and ex-Repre-
sentatives Ray and Tomplins. For.
mer Senator Pritchard secured an In.
crease for clerk hire for Greenville.
N. G., from $40 to $3.50 per annu, which
on Dec. 1, 1908, was discontinued alto.
gether. He also secured an increase
from $40 to $3.50 for Wake Forest,
N. c., which was reduced to the for.
mer amount Oct. 1, 1903.
There are accounts of TT instances
in the report where members of con.
gress have made recommendation IN
connection with leases Of buildings for
postoffice purposes. The history OF
these transactions occupy 1874 pages OF
the printed report. ).
The report declares that the fies
in the postoffice department indicates
that the office at Tuskegee, Ala. ia
owned by Representative Thompson,
Of Alabama. The report gives the cor.
respondence between Beavers and
Representative Thompson in his sue.
cessful efforts to have the rest allow.
ance increased from $24O to $500 an.
nuallv
She Was Not Consulted. /,
A girl forced by her parents into d
disagreeable match with an old man,
whom she detested, when the clergy /
man came to that part of the seryice