The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1912-08-13
Ia TOILETTE
SAYS HIS MAIL
IS SP|ED ON
Senator Makes Sensational
Charges Against the Depart
ment; "Absurd" and "Ri-
diculous," Say Officials.
SENATOR'S DEBATE
THE PARCELS POST
Agreement Reached to Vote
on Appropriation Bill To-
day; Amendment of Inter
est to Publishers.

WV hours work on the posto1ice
appropriation bill, reached a.
agreement to vote on the measure at
| o. CLOCK tomorrow afternoon. Discus
sion of the bill was enIivened late in
the day when Senator La Toilette,
speaking on house provision granting
to employees Of the postal service the
right to organize, deliberately charged
officials Of the postoflice with rihing
his mail in an atempt to delve into an
investigation he was making into the
postal service,
The Wisconsin senator said that his
mail had been subjected to an
espionage almost Russian in charac-
ter and he showed to the sena-
tors bundle Of letters which he said
had been tampered with.
"Absurd' and "ridiculous are
adiectives applied to Senator La Fol
lctte's charges by officials of the post
Office department. 1t is declared posi-
lively that if the senator g mail has
been ri1ed, the crime was committed
by somebody not connected with the
department.
Charges Denied.
DR.. Charles p. Grand6eId. first as
sistant, and, in the temporary absence
of Mr., Hitchcock, acting postmaster
general, said:
"We never have heard until now
that Senator La Follette's mail had
been tampered with. ] think the sena~
tor is quite mistaken when he charges
that officials Of the postofice depart
ment riaed his mail in an attempt to
learn the result of an investigation he
is making, or for any other pur.
pose. AS to the senator's statement
that his mail was subjected to an
espionage almost Russian in charac-
ter, the charge is absurd, and no one
in the postofiice department. has the
slightest interest in the replies of the
clerks TO the senator's inquiries. All
mail addressed to members Of congress
in Washington passes out Of the hands
Of the postofice department when it
reaches the senate and house post
office"
Inspector Is Emphatic.
Chief Inspector Robert C. Sharp was
equally certain that Senator La Fol
lette's charges were unfounded, and
was emphatic in his denial Of them.
"No attempt, of course, ever was
made to watch Senator La Toilette 8
mail or to ascertain the contents Of
any letter addressed to him or sent out
by him." said the inspector. "Any
inspector caught opening scaled let
ter not addressed to him would be sub
iected to the full penalty of the law.
In fact, an inspector having knowledge
Of tho law on this subject could not in
such circumstances escape peniten-
tiary sentence
Senator La Toilette after making his
charges said that men were removed
other reason than that they joined la.
Dor organizations to improve labor con-
ditions.
Hc cited several instances, including
the case Of George Nichols, who after
twenty-five years of service in the de-
partment. was suspended shortly after
he became candidate for office in
the Railway Mail Clerks Protective
association.
Alleged Gag Rules"
The senator discussed the "gag
rules" promulgated by President
Roosevelt and President Taft, forbid
ding postoffice employees from carry.
ing their grievances TO members Of con-
gress.
He had read into the record several
letters from mail clerks in response to
tho circular letters. He assorted that
the officials of the department recog-
nized only one organization, the Rail
way Mail association, which, he said,
was dominated by the officials of the
department.
During the dav three important pro-
visions of the postoffice bill were
acted upon. The Bristow plan
y Il