Bisbee daily review., 1904-01-30
P0ST0FFICE GRAFT.
Its Magnitude Only Partially
 Discovered.
THE SUBSIDIES TO RAILROADS

Postal Car Rents and Padding the
 Weight of Mail 2 Constant Drain.
 The Postonce System, Is Rotten In
 Many Departments and Needs Ref
 ormatioa In Others.
 The report on the postofice frauds is a most appalling revelation of the rot tenncss of the department, but the re- port is more remarkable for what il Omits or only hints at than for the ex- posures it makes. IL is evident that the rascality commenced the moment Senator Hanna handed over the pat ronage to his favorites after the cor. rupt campaign of 1896. Perry Heath was made tie dispenser of patronage, and the footing at once began. Post master General Smith appears to have been a figurehead who either was inca. pablo of administering his office or re fused to see the corruption that was permeating 1t. The exposure of the scandals would never have been made if the heads of the department had not disagreed about their respective rights and the braZen recklessness of Beavers
 
 Bristow report to the work of sundry congressmen, inducing Beayers to in- crease the salaries of their fayorites, is only hinted at. but it was the dispen- sation of these favors that gave the looters power with those they aided and forced through appropriations for double the amount necessary so that the "rake-off'' could be gathered in by the conspirators. So influential with the committee on postofiices and post roads had the chief looters become that congress at it's last session provided for the raising of the salaries of both Bea- vers and Machen.
 Mir. Bristow's report is an indictment of Postmaster General Payne, for he says, What the service most needs is honest, intelligent and vigorous admin istration," and he points out the Ge- fleets of Mir. Payne's management. When this is taken in connection with the hot air and other exclamations of Postmaster General Payne when the first exposures were made. it indicates, as General Bristow evidently believes, that Mir. Payne was determined to thwart any investigation. Yet Mir Payne continues by the grace of Presi- dent Roosevelt 2 member of his cabi- net, and Perry Heath is to continue secretary of the Republican national committee. But the greatest frauds in the postoffice department have not been investigated, and no hint is given that they ever will be. The railroads are receiving at least double what the law contemplates for carrying the mails. They received rent for postal cars enough in one year to buy all the cars. The agents of the railroads are active in padding the returns Of the periodical weighing Of the mails. so that the aver age is vastly augmented. and the cost of carrying the same is increased far beyond all reason. This department Of the postofice service is under the super vision of the second assistant postmas- fer general, and if any one is interested in knowing the vast powers and oppor tunities for graft that the law and reg ulations of the department offer in this branch of the service it is only neces- sary to refer to page 9JS of the Postal Guide under the head of "Office of the Second Assistant Postmaster General" The guide can be found at any post office, and it will be seen that the sec ond assistant postmaster general can wieid enormous power for good OF evil.
 The railroads alone received for the year 1892 $39,953, eos for carrying the mails, being one-third of the whole ex- penditures of the department: The cost of carrying that portion of the mail handled by the railroads has increased from .103S per mile in 1878 to .1213 in 1902. And the cost per capita of pop nIation has been added to in even greater proportion for each decade In 1880 the cost was about % cents for each man, woman and child, in 1890 about 30 cents and in 1900 over 50 cents. The basis for these figures will be found in the Statistical Abstract of the United States for 1902. page 459.
 This increased cost to the people. that the railroads demand and a com placent congress and administration al- low, for carrying the mail offers a large field for an honest investigation of the office of the second assistant postmas- ter general. If an honest weighing of the mails could be had, with no notice giveh of the time when it would oc- cur, SO that padding the amount could