The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-02-12
HAS INSPECTOR
BEEN IMPOSED ON?
Patrons of Salt Lake POstOffice
AnXiOusly Await Develop
mentS at Washington.
RECENT INQUIRY INTO
OFFICE HERE THE CAUSE
Mixing of Mails and Delay in
DiSpatching Them Common
Complaint.

Those who have been watching the com
Ing and going OF poStofTce inspectors de-
tailed TO Investigate charges OF irregular
ity In the local postoGlce the past year
are anXiously awaiting developments at
Washington. resulting from Il recent in
quiry.
They know that at least two postofNcc
inspectors have visited Salt Lake been
taken In tow by parties interested. and
that their visits have not changed the sit
uGtion The inference is that the reports
have been favorable to the officials here.
Now the wonder is II the inspector in
charge of the Denver division has been
imposed on. as IL is believed inspectors
have been In the past
Stand by Each Other.
That there has been particular inti-
macy between Postmaster Thomas and
Inspector Sharp OF Salt Lake Is known to
so many persons as TO cause remark 1t
Is further known by number that one
OF tho chief employees Of the postoflcc Is
a thoroughly dlsreputnble man. and that
his conduct has been reported TO the post
master. with no evidence whatever OF
even reprimand on the Dostmasters
part The local Inspector. too is familiar
with the situation. In some cases he is
alleged TO have been party offender,
May Cost Thomas His Head.
The question that arises in the minds of
those who are acquainted with this matter
IS, why is II that Postmaster Thomas
VIII tolerate such an employee In his Of
nceT' Postmaster Thomas. 1t Is alleged.
and 1T is understood, proved. carries a
young woman on the payrolls as Janitor
when she Is performing clerical services
This conduct has not only cost other post
masters their positions. but is a matter
that Is criticised in every branch of tho
Government Congressman are not free
from their carried %
the payrolls as "janitors'' when as a mat
ter of fact they perform no such service
IT is merely ruse TO secure employment
for favored ones and cases that are inves-
tgated reveal the fact that little or no
service Is performed.
Is Inspector Sharp IncompetentP
Postofice Inspector Sharp knows tha;
there have been violations of serious |
Office or else he is incompetent. The |
question asked Is, III he Is incompetent. |
why Is 1t that he is permitted to remain |
at Salt Lake If he winks at these Vio
lations, why Is 1t that Inspector after In |
spector detailed to look into proVable |
charges preferred against him. and |
against the postmaster goes out of town. |
leaving the defendants a clean bill OF |
health?
Intimidating Employees.
There are stories that Postofice Inspcc-
tor Sharp has attempted to intimidate en- |
ployees Of the postal service who have In J
formation OF his alleged misconduct. II |
IS said that Postma ster Thomas does not |
dare remove an old offender In his office |
Ii is charged that serious an offense
as tamperins with the time recorder at
station y can be proven by the records of
the recorder. 1t is known that a clerk i'm
charge OF one Of the departments, IA
vorite of the postmaster has appeared on
the streets repeatedly In a bcastly state
Of intoNlcation, that he has been intoxl-
Gated during working hours and that
these facts have been laid before Post
master Thomas. That clerk is stil en-
ployed In the postoffice
Gross Signs of Mismanagement.
1T lis also known that the Salt Lake
postoflice shows the grossest signs of
mismanagemcnt The mixing of mails Is
common complaint Charges OF DELAY |.
In the dispatch OF malls in some OF tho
outlying districts has been investigated
by The Tribune and found to be true
Letters in the eastern part of the city
mailed by The Tribune were delayed from
twelve to thirtY-sX hours
Postmaster Thomas. possibly. would not
be held personally responsible for this
were 1t not that complaints have been
made TO him repeatedly without any i'm
provement In the service.
Church Has Pull.
One friend of his. attempting to explain
tho alleged mismanasement of this
office, SAYS that Postmaster Thomas has
been held down by political appointeos
with church pulls. and Is powerlcss Ia
regulate his office as a postmaster sboulS
be able to do. A son-in-law of President
Joseph f Smith Is his assistant
What Inspector Admits.
Postoflice Inspector McKee who re-
Gently investigated the pOstoflice is said
70 nave admitted that he found irreeu-
laritics. He Is now, II Is believed. on his
way 10 Washington TO report In the
meantime. as has been stated those who
are watching the case wonder II another
postoffice inspector has been taken cnrn or
by those directly interested in the results !
Of his investigation.