The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-05-06
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Much Needed Reforms and improvements
in the Postof1ce Department Being
Instituted BY Postmaster
General C0rteIyou

in the Postoface Department Being
Instituted by Postmaster
General Corte1you.
Postmaster General Cortelyou has
inaugurated new regime in the pros
ecution Of fraud in his department,
which, if it continues to be conducted
On its present lines, promises to prove
"a terror to wrong-doers. To begin
With, Mr.. Cortelyou has instructed
the law division of his department to
investigate every concern on its face
appearing to be conducting a fraudu-
lent business as fast as they can be
reached, without waiting, as has been
the custom with former administra-
tions, for some person who had been
victimized to file complaint. The
result has been that a larger number
of fraud orders have been issued dur
ing the last month than in any previ-
Gus month in the history Of the de-
partment. With the reorganization of
the postofice department the inspectors
have been placed under the direct su-
pervision Of the postmaster general,
instead OF being in the bureau of the
fourth assistant, as heretofore, and
inspectors realize that the evidences
OF their vigilance come to the personal
notice of Mr.. Cortelyou, SO there is
every incentive to do thorough work.
Ia time the postmaster general hopes
to develope this good work TO an ex-
tent that will enable him to hold re-
sponsible the inspectors Or the officials
OF the law division when an appar-
entity Objectionable advertisement ap-
pears continuously for a given period
in the newspapers without its author
being inspected by the postal author
tiles.
But Postmaster General Cortelyou
has not confined his energies to the
issuance Of fraud orders against CON
Germs doing dishonest business. He
has also instituted crusade against
persons conducting or acting as agents
for lotteries. In this work, il which
the postofice department has in the
past been hampered by the lack of
cooperation from the other depart
ments, Mr.. Cortelyou has enlisted the
sympathies and cooperation of the
treasury department and of the de-
partment Of justice. Already raids
have been conducted and numerous
arrests made in Tacoma, San Fran
cisco and in Cleveland, although no
arrests were effected in the last named
city. Within few days raids will be
conducted in eleven other cities where
lotteries or their agencies are flourish
ing, according to information which
has reached the postofice department
Or secret service men. The men thus
far arrested claim that they repre-
sented the Mexican lottery and that the
tickets seized were for Mexican draw
ing, but. the secret service men are of
the opinion that the concern has head
quarters ia San Francisco. They
claim that the printing of the alluring
tickets took place in that city.
Ia addition to the efficient assistance
rendered TO the postofice inspectors
by the secret service men, who track
suspects and aid in the arrests, the
of justice has issued in
tothe United States district
wherever raids or arrests
are made, to render every possible as
sistance to the representative Of the
other departments. The cooperation Of
5he detectives of two departments and
the lawyers OF a third will, in the esti-
nation OF high officials, render life
for lottery agents ia this
and they are confident the
7vil will be thoroughly eradieated
within a short time as a result Of the
drastic course now being pursued.
Within the past few days the postoffice
has, moreover, issued
'raud orders against the German state
lottery and the Hungarian lottery,
both of which appear to have been
LONG a thriving business in the United
States.
Another reform which Postmaster
General Cortelyou is setting on foot
political activity BY post
masters and other employees of the
Although the law and the
,ivil service regulations strictly forbid
political activity on the
TART Of the federal employees, post
masters in various sections have been
q the habit of writing to the post
Master general or his assistants for
peeial rulings in their cases, hoping.
# course, 80 secure more lax con-
truction of the law than has been |
,eneral. Mr.. Cortelyou now purposes
0 have prepared and semitic all postal |
Employees circular Of Instructions
= this subject, cfearlgrdefning the
xtent to which they are entitled to |
ngage in politics and partisan UNDER
aklpgg. Offensive partisanship will I
. Complementary defined and it will |
9 made clear that no postmaster or
lmilar emDloyee can associate him