New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-08-13
POSTAL HEADS R|FLED
. MAIL, SAYS la TOILETTE
Charges Department Officials
Opened Letters of Employees
Answering His Inquiries.
LIKE RUSSIAN ESPIONAGE"
Postoffice Bill, Containing the
Bourne .Bristow Parcels Post
Provision, Will Be Voted
On To- day.

Washington. Aug 12.-Senator La Fol
le,te to-day deliberately charged officials
% the PoaofIice Department with riflins
his mail in an attempt TO delve into an
Investigation he was making OF the pos
tai service. The accusation was made
during the debate on the House provision
OF the postoffce appropriation bill grant
ing To employees Of the service the right
90 organize. The bill will be voted on at
! o'clock tomorrow afternoon.
The Wisconsin Senator declared thai
his mail had been subjected TO an es-
= pionage almost Russian in character"
and he showed to the Senators bundle
OF letters which ne said had been tam
pered with. He said he had sent out
1900 letters TO postal employees asking
for the exact conditions in the service.
Absurd" and ridiculous" are adjec-
tiyes applied 70 Senator La Toilette
charges by officials OF the Postofiice De-
partment. 1t is declared positively that
IL the Senator's mail has been rihed the
crime was committed by somebody not
connected with the department.
Denial by First Assistant.
Dr. Charles p. Grandheld. first assist
ant. and in the absence Of Mr.. Hitch
cock acting Postmaster General. said
We never have heard until now that
Senator La Follettes mail had been tam
pered with. / think the Senator is quite
mistaken when he chargs that officials
~ the PostofiiCe Department rified his
mail in an attempt to learn the result
Of an investigation he Is making. or for
any other purpose.
-.
mail was subjected ITO an espionage al
most Russian in character the charge
is absurd, S no one IN the PoStOince
Department has the slightest interest m
the replies OF the clerks to the Senator
inquiries All mail addressed to members
Of Congress in Washington passes out
of the hands Of the Postoffice Department
when II reaches the Senate and House
postoffices.
Chief Inspector Robert G. Sharp was
equally certain that Senator La Toilette >
charges were unfounded, and was en-
phatc in his denial of them. He said:
No attempt. OF course ever was made
10 watch Senator La Follette's mail. or
10 ascertain the contents Of any letter
addressed 10 him or sent out by him;
ANY inspector caught opening sealed
letter not addressed 10 him would be
subjected to the full penalty Of the law.
In fact. an inspector, having knowledge
of the law Oh the subject, could not, IN
such circumstances, escape pemtentarY
sentence.
Senator La Toilette after making his
charges said that men were removed
from the Railway Mail Service "for nc
other reason than that they Joined or
ganizations designed 10 improve labor
conditions in the service" He cited sew
eral instances. including the case OF
George W. Nichols who after twenty-five
years Of service In the department was
suspended shortly after he became can
didate for Office in the Railway Mai
Clerks Protective Association
The Senator discussed the gag rules
promulgated by President Roosevelt ant
President Taft forbidding Postoiilce en-
ploycs from carrying encir grievances tC
members Of Congress. lie had read into
The Record" several letters from mai
clerks in response 20 the circular letters
lie asserted that the officials Of the de
partment recognized only one organza
ton. the Railway Mail Association
which, he said was dominated by thu
officials OF the department.
Adopts Bourne Brstow Plan.
During the day three important pro
visions Of the Postofiice bill were acte
upon The BOurnc-B Tistow plan for {
parcels post system. with a system o
graduated charges based on eight zones o
distance dividing the country. was place.
IN the bill as a substitute for the Hous
parcels post provision, which outlined ;
fat charge of u cents a pound through
out the country.
provision in the House bill maxim:
available federal funds TO assist the states
I'm good road construction was voted dowi
and an amendment framed by the Senat
committee providing for a commission o
three Senators and three Representative
10 study the question was adopted
Another amendment written into tn
bill would compel newspapers using TN
malls TO file with the Postmaster Gen
eraI the names of owners. publishers, ed
itors stockholders and holders Of bond
and mortgages.
The general deficiency bill Is still to b.
passed by the Senate and the army ap
preparation bill. which comes up secon'
time because of the veto OF the President
must be considered again. but it Is no
expected that there will be any market
delay in passing both measures.
oo mrnDy mo nrrrNT AccpT