The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-03-08
STATESMEN USE
"lNFLOOENCE''
Continued From First Page.


Continued From First Page.
Cannon Falls, Hastings, LIE Sueur, Itch
field, New Prague, Zumbrota, Dassel and
Dennison. At these offices allowances
were all the way from $50 to $3.50 in ex-
cess of legal legislation. The same was
true at Excelsior, (Loren Fleteher's rec
ommendation), Hopkins, Robbinsdale,
Rogers and st. Louis Park.
On recommendation of Tawney, excess
sive allowances were made at Glenville
and West Concord recommendation of
Stevens, Isanti $50 and North Branch $50
excess; recommendation of Representa-
tive McCleary, Jackson, Madelia, st.
James, Sanborn, Tracy and Worthington;
recommendation of Representative Eddy,
Kensington; recommendation of Senator
McCumber Drayton; Senator Hans
brough, Larimore and Lisbon, both slight
excuses; Representative Spalding,
Church's Ferry and Dickenson; Rep
resentative Marshall, Edgeley; Senator
Kittredge Canton; Senator Gamble, Cen
terville, Elk Point, Geddes and Groton.
The report shows members interest
ed in a number of cases in securing
unwarranted increases of allowances
for heat, light and rent. Tawney ap-
pears interested in rental and fuel al
lowance at the Spring Valley Office, in
creased from 1910 to $500, and Stew
artville, from $144 to $3.50.
Walter E. Clark.
House Tackles the Matter.
WASHINGTON, D. c., March T.
Postal affairs engrossed the attention
Of the house today practically to the
exclusion Of all else. The subject was
introduced by Mr.. Overstreet, chair
man Of the committee on postofices
and post roads, who submitted the re-
port of that committee on the Hay
resolution calling for certain Informal
ton regarding the use of Influence"
by members of the house to secure in
crease of salary for postmasters. In
terest centered in the data accompany
ing the report, Which had been fur
nished the committee by the postofffce
department, relating to members of
the house.
When Mr. Overstreet stated that he
had been directed by unanimous vote
of the committee to recommend that
the Hay resolution be tabled, as the
information wanted accompanies the
report, minority members urged that
debate and vote on the resolution
should be deferred as they had not
had an opportunity to read the re-
port, so an agreement was reached to
postpone further action until WedneS-
day, and four thousand copies of the
report were ordered printed. There
will be three hours debate on the mo-
+oh a.
ment will be offered by the minority
to provide for a general investigation
of the postoftice department.
Mr.. Overstreet said in connection
with the report that in his opinion
there was not a single instance of any
reflection on the integrity of any MEM
Der.
The postoffice appropriation bill was
then taken up and Mr.. Moon (Dem.
TENN, the ranking minority member
of the postoffice committee, arraigned
the present system employed in the
postoffice department and made an
appeal for a general investigation Of
the affairs of the department. Mr..
Cowherd Oem. MOI, also member
of the committee, followed with an an
alytical review of the charges made in
the Bristow report, which he referred
to as a shameful story of fraud and
nisadministration. He also favored a
general congressional investigation Of
postal affairs.
What the Report Shows.
The report comprises a printed doc
ument of 218 pages recounting the
instances on file in the pestohice de-
partment in which members of the
senate and house have used their Gin
f1uence" with the officials of the post
office department to secure increases
in salaries Of postmasters, additional
clerk hire and advantageous leases of
buildings for postofiee purposes.
The report is made by the unani-
nous vote of the members of Mr..
Overstreet's committee in response to
a resolution calling for the information
introduced by Representative Hay, OF
Virginia. AS the information accom-
panies the report the committee rec
ommends that the resolution lie on the
table
Some of the transactions involving
members of congress recorded IN the
report are held to be technical viola
tons of the statutes, Others are pro-
nounced by members who have read 1t
as clearly censurable, while in the ma
iority of cases it is held that members
in making their recommendations to
the department expected nothing not
in harmony with the rules and prac-
tees of the department.
Three cases are set ferthain which
members of congress, contrary to law,
own buildings which are leased to the
government for postoff1ce purposes.
The details of these cases are given
by Fourth Assistant Postmaster Cen
eral Bristow in communication to
Chairman Overstreet. The congress-
men concerned were Messrs. Wads-
worth, of Geneseo, N. Y, Bowersock,
Of Lawrence, Kan, and Littley, of
Winsted, Conn.
Excessive Clerk Hire.
The history of 81 cases is given in
the report wherein members of con-
gress figure in getting authorization
for clerk hire in excess of the amount
the office in question was entitled to.
In eighty-two instances where reduc-
tons have been made since April, 1903,
SIS, S80-was being paid annually in eK-
cess of the amounts these offices were
entitled to. Persons whose influence
seemed good with the pestofiee de-