The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-03-18
|BRISTOW NOT
 REsPONSIBLE Did < Ot Write Complete Report. 'BEFoRE HoUss COMMITTEE Clears Members of Congress On One Charge. Clerk Hire Section of the Now Fam GUS Document Loses it's Force.
 Department Itself is
 to Blame.
BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE

Washington. March 17.-Fourth Assist ant Postmaster General Bristow, in tes. tifying before the House Special Commit tee on the Postoffice Report. today claim ed for himself responsibility for only the first seven pages of the report which was sent to the Postofifce Committee. and said the other portions of the document were the work of other officials of the department. The clerk-hire section, he said, was prepared in the office of the First Assistant Postmaster General, and that part relating to leases by inspectors and others in his own department.
 Mir. Bristow's testimony threw consid- terable light on all phases of the inquiry, He practically cleared members ot Con- gress from wrong-doing touching the clerl-hire section of the report by stat ing that 1t was the duty of the first as- sistants office to ascertain the condition of the work in an office where an in- crease had been recommended
 The first open session of the Commit tee began at o'clock with Bristow on the stand Every member of the Com mittee was present, but the proceedings was delayed in waiting for General Bris- tow, who was three-quarters of an hour late.
 Mir. Bristow stated that he had been Fourth Assistant Postmaster General for seven years. He was asked how the special report was made up. Tn reply he said that on January 2 of this year, the Postmaster General turned over to him the letter of Mir. Overstreet which Rp. pears in the. report He personally pre- pared the statement contained on pages and and transmitted it 70 Mir. Over street with the letter appearing on pages 6 and 2, which was sent by messenger on the forenoon of January B. Tn answer to this Mir. Overstreet wrote the Postmaster General asking for addi. tional information. The first information referred to Is that. concerning the cases of Representatives Wadswortt of New York. Lilley of Connecticut and Bower. sock of Eanpaa1 The second letter re- corded that there was number of eases in which illegal and Improper allowances were made" and that 1t would require time to make compilation. It also stated that there were many cases where the rents of postofiices had been increased over the amount called for in the leases
 The night of January 25, Mir Bristow said he was taken sick with the grip and had been unable. to be in his office
 until last Monday, March IA. Extent of His Work. I HdQ nOtuluk IuEtncN RSTeoAlauy Io do with the natter continued Mir. Bristow. "I am informed that the Post master General asked that the office of Fourth Assistant Postmaster General pre- pare the information asked for and that it was prepared by inspectors and turn ed over to the Postmaster General by the chief inspector"
 As to clerk hire, he said his informa- ton was the information prepared at the office of the First Assistant Postmaster General.
 Have you since investigated the list of namesT' "No, I have not, at least not until to. day at noon." answered MT. Bristow. T was informed that in making 1t up there might have been omissions. I have not any cases in mind, but could investi- gate of course"
 Do I understand that MT. Waters. In charge of the office, stated that he had made a complete list?" There might have been cases prior to April 1, 190S," answered Mir. Bristow.
 Asked why the date April 1. 1908, was used, MT. Brlstow said it was because that was the date of the Beavers's re- slgnation.
 Method is Secret. In regard to the secret method used | by the Department to ascertain the amount of clerk hire to which an office was entitled. MT. Bristow said he had asked First Assistant Postmaster Gen. eral Wynne about this today and MT Wynne had said that the method was not made known to the public. but if . member of Congress made inquiry hC was shown the method.
 Taking up the question of leases, Mir Mccall, as an explanation of the cas' relating to Manhattan. Kas.. in connec ton with which Representative Calder heads name was mentioned, asked if thu increased amount secured was not fol furniture.
 Furniture was provided for in the or igInal lease" was the answer. l MT. Mccall asked if there was any ad ditional information to be had concern ing the case at Geneses. N. Y, witl which Representative Wadsworth's nam, was mentioned.
 There was substantially none. was tn, answer.
 As to the Lawrence. Kas.. case involv ing Representative Bowersock's name it developed that there had been re duction in the rent of this office som, time prior to Mir. Bowersock's election t, formation regarding the Winsted. Conn. case involving the name of Representa- tive Lilley.
 The Tuskegee.
 The Tuskegee, Ala, case involving tn, name of Representative Thompson wal inquired about, but Mir. Bristow said h, did not personally know the details O this case.
 Tn answer to Chairman Mccall ant Representative McDermott. Mir. Bristov said he knew of none other than thes, four cases in which the statute migh have been violated.
 "That is," he continued, ''no other sucl cases touching members of the presen Congress-
 MT. McDermott asked a line of ques tions to develop the responsibility for i'm Iproper clerk hire allowances in fourth class offices
 MT. Bristow said he was not the custo ldian of fourth-class offices as to inspec ltion or allowances
 'Do you mean that it was no eoncerl Iof yours officiallyT'
 well; 1t depends upon what you meal Ibv concern" answered Mir. BristoW
 "such increases are determined on by tn r.. d