Martinsburg statesman. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1869-1906, 1904-03-25

Congressman Dayton it seems figures
conspicuonsly in the famous Bristow
report which created such a stir In
Congress when it was submitted to
that body. Perhaps u hslf of the me M
bers Of Congress are shown by the re-
port to have secured for some OF their
fliends increase in clerk hire or rent for
postoffice roems, in their districts
which were not warranted by the facts
and the law. The Shepherdstown
Register in its last issue lays open the
matter as it,relates to the sheph erds.
town postoffice and Mr.. Daytsn's con-
nection with the matt er. The Register
says:
"Post master VIM A. Chapline in 1901
was 81 200 Year and the rent of the
room used as postofilce, including
fuel and lights was $3.50 year. When
Mr.. Chapllae died at the request Of Mr.
Dayton. and upon the recommendation
of a postofllce inspector the rent was
increased to $40 year, aud lease
m ,de for i've years from July /, 1902.
HAIRY f. Murday had been appointed
ID postmaster to succeed Mr.. Chtpline and
h opposed the lease. He bad bought
a house on Main street and he was de-
sir1us Of adding the snug sum OF S34O
a ye n to his salary Mr.. Dayton whose
sympathy was with the widow of the
form sr postmaster insisted upon CIV
ing h.r the lease and IL was executed.
az above stated.
Postmaster Munday, however did not
give up the fight TBe rent allowed
by the government was more than
twice as much as the same room would
rent for if used for ordinary business
purposes and he meant that this men
ey should go into his own poe kets. He
continued to make chmplaints about
the Chapline room, and Geo. L.Wood
assistant superintendent, made u visit
to Shepherdstown in April 1903 10 in
vestigate. In a statement of more or
les. accuracy, Wood declared that the
70 )m WAS unsuitable fer the postoffice
His report was so strongly against the
old location that the department can
celed the five year lease of Mrs. Chap
line, and Postmaster Munday, with the
assistance of Inspestor Wood, having
won his fight against the widow, en-
tered into AN agreement by which he
gets $40 for the use OF room in his
own house when ordinarily it would be
rented for perhaps a third of that sun.
If this inspector had inquired he could
have ascertsined that the best business
rooms in the town, in the best build
idgs and most desirable locations, bring
only little more than half as much a
he helped to exact from the govern
ment"
Mr.. Dayton, according to the report
succeeded in getting $500 excessive
clerk hire for Charlestowu when but
h alt that amount was needed, $500
for Piedmont which was later cut
down to 500 and $40 Tor Shepherds
town where no allowance was called
for. Through his influence the de-
partmeat leased a room II ON Hail and
Teter, through his personal friend
Chas. T. Teter, at Philippi, Dayton 5
home at $3.50 per annum when but
SIPS had been paid before.
Others OF the West Virginia deieg
ton who figure in the report are Sen
ator Scott who got $500 clerk hire that
was subsequently reduced to $3.50 at
Huntersville and Senator Elkins who
got St2)o allowance tor the
Hinton office which was afterward re-
duced to $3.50.
These allowances were all sec lred
through the notorious George w.
Beavers. at the head of the di-
vision, of salaries and allowances and
who is now under indictment for de
frauding the government.