Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-04
WHY A LIST WAS SENT
Statement Made by Post.
master General Payne.
CLERICAL ALLOW ANCES
CORRESPONDENTS WITH CHAIR
MAN ovERsTREET.
Information Prepared at Department
Regarding Postal Affairs and
Transmitted to Congress.

transmitted Co congress.
The statement recently made by Post
master General Payne to the Mccall COM
mittee is as follows:
II have been Postmaster General since
January Q, 1902. Shortly after the present
Congress convened, in November last, the
department was frequently urged to make
clerical allowances to offices of the third
and fourth classes where allowances form
erly had been made for clerk hire for sep
arating purposes and had been discontinued
by reason of the establishment of rural Tree
delivery routes emanating from such oMces
and the discontinuance of star routes. As
sistant Attorney General Robb OF the
Post Office Department advised me
that such allowances could not law
fully be made. and he subsequently,
at my request, prepared written
opinion. I believed 1t fair and equitable
that such allowances be made and that leg
islation to that effect should be enacted l
discussed the matter personally with Mr.
Overstreet, the chairman of the House COM
mittee on post offices and post roads. Mr.
Overstreet in a CONVEX sation over the teie-
phone stated that Mr. Waters, general SUI
Eerintendent of the division OF salaries ana
allowances, had in his possession at hear
ing before the committee list OF severai
hundred offices of the third and fourth
classes where the allowances for clerk hire
had been discontinued or decreased, ana
that the list would be of service to the COM
mittee, and asked If there was any reason
why it should not be furnished to the COM
mittee. At the time, l believe the COM
mittee was considering an amendment au-
thorizing the Postmaster General in MS dis-
cretion to make an allowance for clerk hire
in offices where additional labor had been
occasioned by reason of the establishment
of rural free delivery routes, and the previ-
Gus allowances for clerk hire had been
taken away because of the discontinuance
of star route service, and / therefore said
to Mr.. Overstreet that l could see no rea-
son why the committee should not have
copy of the list, but suggested to him that
he put the request in writing, which he
did The following letter was received In
response to my request, the original OF
which is submitted to the committee for IN
spection:
Chairman Overstreet's Letter.
Committee on post offices and post roads, House
Of Representatives, United States, Washington,
D. c., January %.
Hon Henry G. Payne, Postmaster General, Wash
ington, d. G.
"Sir During the hearing before this committee
recently, the statement was made by Mr.. Waters
that about soo pest 1ee sof tSa oces
were not entitled to them. From conversation
had with Mr. Waters over the telephone IT was vas
fourth assistant postmaster general In regard 10
these disalowances and that copy OF this state
Guilty
of the committee copy of the statement referred
to at the earliest opportunity. The committee de-
sires to know what offices have been affected by
fore any reduction discontinuance was made,
and what it is now; and also the compensation al
ton it may be that all Of this information is not
easily obtainable without considerable delay. and
II So please advise me Immediately. But In any
event the committee desires to have such informa-
ton is now accessible as soon as possible. very
1signed1 JESSE ovBRsTREDT, Chairman"
This latter it will be noted, does not
appear in the printed report of March Z.
1904, from the committee on post office and
post roads, but the following letter, bear
Ing date of January o. 1904, the original of
which is submitted to the committee for
inspection, appears on page y of the report
| as Of date Of January %:
House Of Representatives, United States
Washington, January ~, 1904.
Hon. Henry G. Payne. Postmaster General, Wash
''slr: have the honor to request that there be
assistant postmaster. ali Information which can
be communicated by such official with reference TO
allowances have been discontinued. together with
all Information relating to leases which have ossn
70 nnd at higher rate
! 'I would thank you to have this information in
my hands by 10 O'Clock Monday morning. jan
(Signed) JESSE OVERSTREET,
Chairman"
"It seems proper to me at this time to
say that the failure to print in the re-
port the real letter of the 23d, and the
printing of the letter of the 22d under
date of the ed, is largely responsible for
the confusion that has arisen and has
placed the department in the position of
sending information not requested by the
committee. This impression is still fur
ther accentuated by the change in the
printed report of date in the body of
the letter from the committee to the
Postmaster General Of January % zap
pearing on page ~, from January ~ to
January %. the original of which is sub
| mitted to the committee for inspection.
Names Of Congressman Omitted.
upon the receipt of the real letter of
| January % asked First Assistant POST
| master General Wynne about the list re-
ferred to in the letter, and he procured
the list. which then saw for the first
time. 1t was noted that there appeared
spective offices the names of senators,
representatives. and other prominent men.
After conference with Gen. Wynne / di-
rected that a copy of the list be made,
but to omit all names of congressman
and others from it. Such list, with the
names eliminated. was promptly made,
and in the meantime and on the same
day, | sent the following telegram to Mr..
Overstreet:
Departmental Teleg aph Lines,
POST Office Department,
| washington, D. G., January Is, 1904.
/ Hon. Jesse OvefstIeet, Chairman Committee on
Post Oficss and Post Reads, House Of q presenta-
tfves.
Expect to be able to send you this afternoon
statement Of allowances for separating services
which have been taken away from about nine
hundred Offices
(Signed.) ''H. C. PAYNE,
Postmaster General"
This telegram does not appear in the
| printed report of the committee.
| Later In the day. in accordance with my
| telegram. I inclosed the list with the names
eliminated. together with the following let
ter. to the chairman of the committee:
"0tice of the Postmaster General,
Washington, d. c., January g. 1904.
Hon. Jesse overstreet, Chairman Committee on
Pest Offlces and Post Roads
Sir: Replying to your communication Of the
| 23d instant i beg to inclose herewith statement
/ showing the reduction in allowances for clerk
hire in post Offices Of the third and fourth ciassss
since April /, 1903. This shows the former allow
anees amounted to- S182. 966. The present allow
ances amount to SIS, 600.
Respectfully yours.
tSigned.l III. G. PAYNE,