The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1904-03-08
USED THEIR INFLUENCE
MANY SENATORS AND CONGRESS-
MEN INVOLVED IN LATEST
POSTAL INVESTIGATE N.
REPORT IS SUBMITTED TO HOUSE
SOME OF THE TRANSACTIONS DE.
cLARED BY MEMBERS AS
CLEARLY cENsURABLE.
REPORT IS SUBMITTED TO HOUSE

Washington, March s. - Another
chapter in the postofice investigation
Of last summer was revealed during
the day when Chairman Overstreet OF
the house committee on postotfices and
postroads laid before the house OF rep
resentatives closely printed doeu
ment Of 6lS pages reeountng the IN
stances on file in the postoice depart
ment in which members OF the senate
and house OF representatives have used
their Influence" with the officials OF
the postoiiice department, with more
or less success, to secure increases III
salaries of postmasters. additional
clerk hire and advantageous leases OF
buildings for postoffice purposes
The report is made 10y the unani
nous vote Of the members Of Mt
Oyerstreet committee IN response tc
q resolution calling for the intoima
ton introduced by Representative hay
of Virginia. AS the information ac
companies the report the committee
recommends that the resolution lay
on the table.
Some of the transactions involving
members of congress recorded ia the
report are held to be technical viola
tions of the statutes, others repro'
nounced by members who have read il
as clearly censurable, while in the
majority OF cases 1t is held that mem
bers in making their recommendations
to the department expected nothing
not in harmony with the rules and
practices OF the department.
Three cases are set forth In which
members of congress own buildings
which are leased to tire government
for postoilice purposes.
The history Of 161 cases is given IN
the report wherein members of con-
gress figure In getting authorization
for clerk hire in excess Of the amount
the office in question was entitled TO-
according to the secret method en-
ployed by the department to deter
mine the merits Of t. !, case. Many OF
these increases were only temporary
and have been discontinued. tabu
lated statement shows that in eighty
two instances where reductions nave
been made since April 1903. $l5,SSo
was being paid annually In excess OF
the amounts these offices were en-
titled to.
Officials With Influence"
Persons whose Influence" seemed
good with the postotlice department
for a time at least embraced In the
history OF these cases include:
Hon. C. d Meillejohn, Representa-
tives Russell, Sperry and Hill OF Con
N
tative Griggs of Georgia; Senator Cul-
Iom, ex-senator Mason and Represen-
tatives George w. Smith, Brccken-
ridge, Warner and Plncer of illinois;
Senator Beveridge and Representative
&c. Il. Landis, Crumpacker, Watson,
Hemenway, Oyerstreet and former
Representative Steele of Indiana; for
mer Speaker Henderson and Represen-
tatires Cousins and w. A. Smith OF
Iowa: Representatives Miller, Bower
sock and Calderhead OF Kansas; Rep
resentative pugh and John W. Lang
ley of the census Office for Kentucky;
Senator McComas and Representatives
Pearre and Jackson of Maryland.
Four allowances in Michigan were
secured by Representative II. G Smith.
Representative Gardner was success
full in one instance and Hon. John A.
Merritt in another The Hon. II. A..
Castle, former Representative Fletcher
and Representative McCleary are the
names mentioned -in-the-M
list.
Hon. r. G. Kerens, Hon, Webster
Davis and Hon. John Dougherty Sc
cured increases which afterwards. were
revoked for Missouri. Hon. Thomas
Carter appears in the list from Mon
tana Former Senator Thurston and
Representative Burkett are down for
Nebraska. Representative Gardner
and Hon William Johnson secured In
creases in New Jersey. New York is
represented in the list by Governor
OdAll, Representative Serene E..
Payne, Sherman, Alexander Ketcham
and Yreeland and ex=Representatives
Ray and Tompkins. Former Senator
Pritehard secured an increase for
clerk hire for Greeneyille, N. C., from
SIS to $50 per annum. which on Dec.
l, 1903, was discontinued altogether.
He also secured an increase from $40
to $3.50 for Wake Forest, N. C.. which
was reduced to the former amount
Oct.+1, 1903 Senator Hanshroughz ap-
pears in the list for. North Dakota.