Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-29
OVERSTREET EXPLAINS
MCCALL COMMITTEE RESUMES
IT'S INVESTIGATION.
Why Information Regarding Members
of Congress Was Sought From
Post Office Department.

The Mccall post Office investigating COM
mittee met in open session yesterday after
noon to continue Its hearings on the
charges concerning members report re-
garding their connection with post Office
leases and Increases in clerk hire
Representative Overstreet, chairman of
the House committee on post offices and
post roads. was first heard.
Mr.. Mccall asked Mr. Overstreet to tell
the committee what he knew about the re-
port. He began by detailing the manner
of organization of the House post office
and post roads committee into subcommit-
tees, one Of which had referred to It the
so-called Bristow report. He explained
that he was referring to the original Bris-
tow report dealing with the general inves-
tigation In January the Hay resolution,
calling for additional information was re-
ferred to this subcommittee, of which he
was chairman
While this committee was considering the
post office appropriation bill the Hay reso-
luton was brought into the several meet
ings.
Information Asked For.
Acting conformity with his associates Mr..
Overstreet requested from the fourth as
sistant postmaster general details regard
ing property leased to the government
which was owned by members of Con-
gress. During the hearings on the post
Office appropriation bip Mr.. Waters chief
Of the salary and allowance division, made
reference to a list which included the names
of members Of Congress, regarding clerk
the fourth assistant" Knowing that
clerk hire was under the first assistant and
hearing that this list was on file with the
fourth assistant Mr.. Overstreet said that
the subcommittee inferred that this list
had been a subject of investigation. 1t
was suggested that letter be written
from the committee to the Postmaster Gen.
eral asking for this information. Mr.. Over
street dictated this letter January 25, 1904.
This letter is printed in the report. 1t was
read to the committee before being sent.
and asked for the information regarding
clerk hire and leases.
There were two requests for this infor-
nation. The second request was made be-
fore an answer was made to the first. Mr..
Overstreet said he had not examined the
response to the first request, as the infor-
nation submitted in answer to the second
was more full and complete. He never had
had any communication with General Bris-
tow on the subject, but had called on the
Postmaster General at his hotel regarding
the information.
The information when received was kept
in the safe Of the sergeant-at-arms of the
House. Members of the committee exam
ined the report several times. In the mean
time Mr.. Hay was pressing for conclu-
sion regarding his resolution. Mr.. Hay had
stated that he should ask the House to dis
Grafton of his resolution
Leaked Into Newspaper.
Mr. Overstreet was working. he said. for
a unanimous report from the committee to
have the report laid on the table in the
House and not published. Mention of the
report was made In a New York paper
Mr.. Overstreet, asserted that the informa-
ton used In this way did not come from
any member of the committee. This publi-
cation, he said. was entirely wrong but 1t
did have a vital effect members, who
thought, in view of the exaggerated report
In the paper, that the real facts ought to be
printed because after that publication there
always would be a controversy as to
whether the committee was really sup
pressing something that was a serious re-
fection on members. 1t was not until after
this publication that the subcommittee took
formal action and reported to the full COM
mittee When the full committee had act
ed Mr. Overstreet ordered advance copies
from the printer for the press 1t was not
until after the report had been received and
distributed in the House that 1t was dis
covered at the head of each page was the
following line: Charges Against Members
of Congress-"
Caption Taken On
He at once ordered the public printer to
take that line or.
Mr.. McDermott maintained that the line
was justified By the contents OF the report
Mr. oversrset said he did not think the