New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-03
HR. P4YNE'S SETTLEMENT

The statement made by Mr.. Payne TO the Nc
/ Call committee follows
/ 1 have been Postmaster General since January
I o, 1902 Shortly after the present Congress
convened in November last. the department was
I frequently urged to make clerical allowances 10
offices Of the third and fourth classes, where al
lowanCes formerly had been made for clerk hire
for separating purposes, and had been discon,
! tinued by reason Of the esta Adjustment Of rural
, free delivery routes emauating from such Of
| fees and the discontinuance of star routes.
Assistant Attorney General RObb Of the Post
office Department advised me that such allow
| ances could not lawfully be made and he. subse-
/ quently, at my request, prepared a written
/ opinion. l believed il fair and equitable that
such allowances be made, and that legislation
/ TO that effect should be enacted l discussed
/ the matter personally with Mr.. OverStreet,
/ the chairman OF the House Committee on Post
/ offices and Post Roads. Mr.. Ovsrstreet In con-
versation over the telephone. stated that Mr..
/ Waters, general superintendent of the division
! Of salaries and allowances. had in his posses
sion at a hearing before the committee a list OF
several hundred Offices Of the third and fourth
1 classes where the allowances for clerk hire had
I been discontinued decreased, and that the
/ list would be Of service TO the committee and
asked II there was any reason why II should
not be furnished to the committee At the time,
1 believe. the committee considering
sfnenunent authorizing the postmaster OeieIdI
/ in his discretion 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 previous al
! lcwances for clerk hire had been taken away
because Of the dfscontfnuance OF star route ser
/ vice. and 1 said to Mr.. Overstreet that could
/ see no reason why the committee should not
/ have a copy of the list. but suggested TO him
/ that he put the request in writing. which he
/ Gid. The following letter received in
I Spouse 10 my request. the original Of which is
submitted TO the committee for inspection:
+ Committee on Postoffices and Postroads House o.
Representative, United States. Washington. D.
/ Hon. Henry c. Payne Postmaster General. Wash
Sir: During the hearing before this committee
/ recently the statement was made by Mr. Waters
that about nine hundred postof1ce allowances for
tho Offices were not entitled to them From a con-
versatioE had with M Waters over the telephone.
gard TO these iisaiowances and that a copy OF
this statement could probably be found without
would be glad 10 have you furnish FOR use
ct the committee copy Of the statement referred
sires to know what offices have been affected oy
these disallowa1ces. what the allowance was be
what It IS row; and also the COMPENSATION allowed
NAV he that an OF this inrormatio1 is not obtain
able without considerable delay. and. II so. please
committee desires to nave such Information as is
now accessible as soon as possible Very respect
ILlly. JESSE OFERSTREET
This letter. it will be noted does not appear
in the printed report Of March :. 1904. from the
Committee POstOfiCes and Post Roads, bus
the following letter. bearing date OF January %.
1904. the original Of which is submitted to the
committee for inspection. appears on page OF
/ the report as Of date OF January %.
/ COMMITTEES on Post Offices and Post Roads
House Of Representatives. United states.
Washington. January -. 1894.
/ The Hon. Henry c. Payne. Postmaster General.
Sir: have the honor to request that there he fur
nished direcS 70 this committee by ths Fourth as
sistant Postmaster General all Information which
/ be communicated ny such official with refer
/ those allowances have been discontinued together
/ been made 20 members OF Congress and whether
discontinued and renewed at higher rate
I would thank YOU 20 have this information n
. NY hands by 10 o'clock Monday morning. Janu-
1'S jesse 0'TIERsrREET Chairman.
/ Il seems proper TO me at this time TO say
/ that the failure 10 print in the report the real
| letter OF the 23d and the printing Of the letter
/ Of the I'D under date of the I'D. is largely "a
! sponsible for the confusion that has arisen and
! has placed the department in the position OF
sending Information not requested by the COM
/ nittee This impression IS still further Gc-
/ centuated BY the change in the printed report
OF date in the body Of the letter from the Post
! master General Of January - appearing on
/ page g. from January % to January p. the
/ original Of which is submitted 20 the committee
for inspection.
/ Upon the receipt of the real letter OF January
\ %. l asked First Assistant Postmaster General
] Wynne bout the list referred 10 IN the letter.
/ and 'h4 prorIIrad the list which I then saw for
the first time. II noted that there appeared
ar, -ba LIST onuoste the MINES OF the respective
/ offices the names Of Sena tors. Representatives
/ and other prominent men After conference
/ with General Wynne. directed that copy Of
the list be made but 20 omit all names OF Con-
! gressmen and others from 1t Such list with
/ the names eliminated, was promptly made. and
/ in the time, and on the same day, 1 sent
! the following telegram 10 Mr. Overstreet:
! Departmental Telegraph Lines
/ Postoficp Department
/ Washington. January .. 1904.
| Hon Jesse Overstreet. Chairman Committee
/ Postoffices and Post Roads, House Of Representa-
! Expect 20 be able TO send you this afternoon
statement Of allowances for separating services
| which have been taken away from about nine hun
I dred Offices
! 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 letter
/ 20 the chairman OF the committee:
Office OF the Postmaster General
Washington, January % 1904.
! Hon Jesse Overstreet. Chairman Committee on
Postof1ces ard Post Roads.
| inst. beg 20 incose herewith statement showing
the reduction IN allowances for clerk hire post
offices of the third and fourth classes April
| !. 1908. This shows the former allowances amount
| ell Sl62 e65. The present allowances amount
! II. G. PAYNE Postmaster General
/ p. S.-If II is desired will ascertain and adj
wise you OF the salary compensation OF the post
! masters Of he offices in question. II. c. p.
This letter does not appear in the printed re-
the receipt OF such a list, although IL has since
developed that the list duly received by the
/ committee.
Soon after sending the list TO the committee
/ with the names omitted therefrom. I received
/ word from the committee that the list was
/ satisfactory as sent The exact source of this
/ information | am now una BILE to recall but to the
telephone AS this matter was the subject OF
! the teleDhOne and