The Savannah morning news., 1904-04-03
PAYNE, IN BED,
TELLS ABOUT 1T
M'CALL COMMITTEE MEMBERS
RECEIVE THE POSTMASTER GEN
ERALS EXPLANATION.

Payne Explains Certain Points Con-
nected with the Report TO the
PostOHiCe Committee of the House
That Was Made From His Depart
ment-It Was Upon Request That
the Names of congressman and
Senators Were Included.
Washington, April AT the request
of Postmaster General Payne, Chair
man Mccall Representatives HIT
Richardson of Alabama and Bartlett
went to the Arlington Hotel to-day
and discussed with the Postmaster
General at his bedside the special re-
port involving members of Congress
in the matter of clerk hire and leases
at third and fourth class postott1ces.
Mr.. Payne had prepared statement
which he wished to go into the record
of the committee and which was made
public. The vital point in the state
ment is that Mr.. Payne was most
positive in his protest that the names
OF. members should not have been sent
TO the House Committee on Postoftlces
and Post Roads. The report in ques-
ton was first submitted to the com
mittee without the names, and the
second report with the names was sent
to the Capitol upon telephone order
from the House Committee on Post
offices and Post Roads.
Mr.. Payne's statement includes two
letters from Chairman Overstreet ask
d. C., f1,v.v mott ion a
one of which was printed under date
one day later than the original. To
this error Mr.. Payne attributes the
confusion that has placed the Depart
ment in the position of sending infOr-
nation not requested by the commit
tee. When Mr.. Payne saw the list
he ordered the names of senator's and
representatives stricken out and this
list, with the names eliminated, was
sent to Mr.. Overstreet AS to what
followed, Mr.. Payne's statement says:
Soon after sending the list to the
committee with the names omitted
therefrom ! received word from the
committee that the list was unsatis-
factory as sent. The exact source of
this information l am now unable to
recall, but to the best of my recollec-
ton it came TO me over the telephone.
Statement of Payne.
LAS l did not esteem it to be just
or right to submit list of these OFF,
GERS as shown in that schedule with
nothing but the names of members
of Congress and others appended with
out further explanation l had an in
terview with Mr.. Overstreet, chair
man of the committee. at which in
terView it was agreed that the cir
cumstances surrounding each case as
appeared on the files of the department
should be briefly set forth in the COM
munication to the committee.
In view of the fact that the COM
mittee was in very great haste for the
information. and in order to expedite
matters, l made an appointment with
the chairman of the committee to lay
before him on Sunday, Jan. 81, copy
of so much of the information as was
ready on that date, the chairman call
ing at my residence for that pur-
pose about noon of the day mention
ed.
About 40 per cent. of the matter
desired had then been prepared and
we went over it carefully The chair
man expressed himself as entirely sat
isfied with its form and substance.
This list l personally returned to the
department the next morning, and it
is proper for me to say in this connec-
ton that l did not nor did any one
else, to my knowledge, submit these
lists or any other matter called for
and now being inquired into by your
committee, to any person outside of
Mr.. Overstreet on the occasion men
toned. The complete list as called for
by the committee was transmitted UNI
der date of Feb. 5, together with a
letter to the chairman"
stands by the Head Line.
Chairman Mccall to-day received
and explanation fIom the government
printing office concerning the folio line
at the top of each page of the report,
Charges Concerning Members of Con-
gress." This line was, it is stated, a
legitimate condensation of the sub
stance of the title page submitted from
the Postoffice Committee and is also
justified by the Hay resolution which
contains the word Charges" in the
same connection. The line was made
up in the printing Office, as is the us
ual custom.
A meeting of the Mccall committee
was held to-day behind closed doors.