Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-03-22
Fourth Assistant General Bris-
tow Continues Testimony.
Denies Authorship Of Part Of Post
Office Report.
Hearing at Washington, Monday, Be-
fore Mccall Commission.


ter General Bristow continuing his tes-
ffmony. First Assistant General Wynne
was also present Mr.. Burton asked Mr..
Bristow IL the clerk hire allowances
were not made according to secret reg
ulation In the Post Office Department.
There is schedule, l understand
replied Mr.. Bristow. in the first as
sictants office that is confident upon
which the allowances are based.
would not want to say that Mr.. Beav-
ers made these allowances in accord
ance with those regulations according
II his own pleasure"
Mr.. Rristow did not know whether
members OF Congress had ever been in
formed about this secret test.
Rent CT fourth class offices. it was eX-
blamed by Mr. Eristow. was limited by
law to = maximum of $4OO a year and
an allowance of $50 for fuel and light.
Mr.. Richardson of Alabama, took up
the case of Johnson City, Tenn. He
outlined the increase in population in
the town, including the establishment
of a soldiers home, and them asked if
Mr.. Bristow did not think the rent in
crease from 1890 to $l400 was justiG-
able and that Mr.. BrOwnlOw was justi
fled In making the request for the in
crease.
Does that look suspicious" asked
Mr.. Richardson.
1T would depend all upon the facts
whether any one else had a building
that they wanted to rent to the gov
eminent" Mr.. BristoW replied.
The Humboldt Tenn, case was next
taken up, where additional rent had
been secured and there. too, Mr.. Rich
ardson stated that the town had grown
and asked if there could be any GEN.
sure justified.
That then would not be case in
which rents had been increased by Mr..
Beavers for his personal friends?" ask
ed Mr.. Bartlett.
mot if It was n legitimate rent" an
swered Mr.. BristOw.
Mr. Mccall: I'm the brief that you
make"
II beg your pardon" interrupted Mr..
Rristow II did not make that brief.
well. you have said you were ac-
quainted with it?'
NO. I never read it and have no
Knowledge of it. except the first seven
pages"
MI tIttt tiltll itstu w ANli' ~
n number of questions to ascertain the
identity of the persons who had pre-
pared the report first asking with ref
erence to that part of the report re-
ferring to clerk hire. Mr.. Bristow SAID
he had no Information except what he
had been told. He suggested that the
first assistant. Mr.. Wynne. could an
swer that question. AS to the lease
= no.
furnish the committee with a list of
the inspectors who made up the re-
port.
do you know" asked Mr.. Bartlett.
whether this report. after it was COM
piled. was submitted to any other per-
son than officials of the post office de-
partment?"
Il have no knowledge" was the re-
ply.
Mr.. Hit asked a line of questions
to ascertain the exact weight that
ought to attach to the recommends
ton of n member of Congress.
Mr.. Brstow admitted that a request
from n member might receive more
consideration than from n postmaster.
Mr. Bartlett called Mr.. Bristows at
tentiOn to this language in his own re-
port:
congressman frequently ask eXecu-
tive officers to do things which they
themselves would refuse to do if tn"
responsibility of decision was upon
them. The traditions of American poll
tics afford many instances of this
kind"
II think that members of Congress
frequently recommend things or ask
things which. if the responsibility was
on them to decide. they would refuse
what they have recommended"
Mr. Bartlett called Mr.. Bristow's at
tention to a statement in the original
Bristow report as follows:
The foregoing cases refer to clerk
hire in third and fourth class offices.
A hundred other similar cases could be
cited. The millions that have been
appropriated for that purpose during
the last four years have been used by
Beavers largely as an official Iserquisitc
for the benefit of his personal and po-
litical friends
Does this one hundred other cases
refer to congressman" asked Mr..
Bartlett.
"There may have been Congressman
in that large number of eases l had in
mind" answered Mr.. Bristow. Il did
not consider it a question for me t.
decide as to the acts of congressman"
MIR. Bristow was asked to submit the
hundred other cases. ard said that be-
fore writing that statement he had
been going over large number of
cases-150 or 200--and he had simply
made a general statement of a hundred.
If was agreed that if additional clerk
hire cases We're to be obtained by the
committee the first assistant would be
asked for them.
Mr.. McDermott concluded the inves-
tigation of Mr.. Bristow by asking n
number of questions regarding the Off
cial duties of the fourth assistant He
first brought out that there are 200 in
spectors under the jurisdiction of the
fourth assistant. for which $500. 200 is
appropriated. These inspectors are
under general and not specific direc-
tions.
when did you first suspect Mr..
Beavers MISUNDERSTANDING" demand
cd Mr. McDermOtt,