The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-04-21
HE DID NOT VIOLATE
THE STATUTE.
Congressman Pearre's Statement
About Maryland PostoffiCes.
INCREASED PAY FOR CLERKS.
Larger Allowances Made, A. Mr..
Pearre's Request, For Offices Al
Luke, Deer Park And Roc kviIle.

In the testimony taken by the Nc
Call committee at Washington which
investigated Charges against mem
bers OF Congress in connection with
postoffice matters is lengthy state
ment from Representative George A.
Pearre, of Maryland. Mr.. Pearre has
been in poor health, unable to be in
the House for several weeks and could
not appear before the committee dur
ing the investigation to testify. Writ
ing from the Hotel Brighton, at Allan
tic City, under date of April !, he
makes the following statement:
II think the committee will find
my name mentioned four times in the
report of the Committee on t he Post
office and Post Roads-three times in
connection with allowances for clerk
hire, viz, at Luke, Deer Park and
! Rockville, and once in connection
with lease atlBrunswick, Maryland.
An examination of the list furnish
ed by the department of these cases
will, | am sure, satisfylthe committee
! that the allowance at Deer Park and
Luke were justified and legal at the
time the allowance was made. Refer
ence to note.at the head of this list
so indicates. Why these places were
mentioned in the list, therefore, am
at a loss to know.
The other case. at Rockville pre-
sents same unusual features. Rock
vile is about 16 miles from Wash
ingtOn on the Metropolitan branch of
the Baltimore and Ohio railroad.
| Numerous mail trains pass it daily
in both directions, discharging mails
frequently..::during every "a hours
how Ofteni Fam. not.prepared to say.
/ Five star routes radiate from this
postOfiice, dispatching and delivering
mail once each daily, with the excep-
ton of Sunday, believe. An exam
ination Of the records, copies OF which
| have, will disclose the fact that in
creases in clerk hire allowances were
demanded by Mr.. G., h. Jones, post
master, as far back as 1897 and recon-
mended by Hon. John Mcdonald, at
that time member of Congress from
the Sixth district of Maryland | was
first electeditO Congress in November
1898, and assumed the duties of the
, Office on March 4, 1899.
The records willIshow that in 1898,
before | became member ofCongress,
an increase in clerk hire allowance
was made from $500, | think, to 5000
topaY the salary of an additional clerk.
! This increase was to. and did, take
effect in April, 1899 The letter of the
postmaster, G. b. Jones, recommend
ing this increase, of record at the
Postoffice Department, but not men
toned in the report, will disclose the
conditions existing at that postoffice
and the crying need for more help
In his letter he says he has to pay
/ two clerks, out of his salary. This is
! my recollection of the record. have
J it not before me.
AS | remember, my first active
connection with the matter ofincreas-
ed clerk hire at Rockville was upon
the urgent and persistent request
of Mr.. P. B. V. Viers. the present
postmaster and my appointee. After
the Bristow investigation of the Post
Office Department a horizontal reduc-
ton was.made in allowances for clerk
hire at third-class postoffices, and
Rockville was reduced to $500 year
upon recommendation of an inspec-
tor.
After receiving the notice from the
departmental the proposed reduction
Mr.. Viers, the postmaster, wrote me
urging that ask the department not
to enforce this reduction against the
Rockville postoffice, as he could not
possibly get along with such a reduc-
ed force. l wired to the department
from my home at Cumberland asking
that the reduction be postponed. at
least until could see the postoffice
officials. However, the reduction was
made, and upon my return to Wash
ington last November, upon the ur-
gent solicitation of the postmaster
and his representation that great in
convenience put upon the people, /
went to First Assistant Postmaster
General Wynne, most conscientious
and careful officer, and who, it is said,
originated the investigation into the
Postoffice department., and urged the
restoration of the clerk.hire allowance
at Rockville. He replied that under
the regulation of the department $500